Monster
by LolyGothica
Summary: "If only you were thirty centimeters taller, you could've become a superstar." Said Tsukishima to Hinata. Yet, he would correct himself. Because if Hinata was thirty centimeters taller, he would've become more of a monster than a superstar. HinaTsukki, yes, in that order.
1. How It All Began

**WARNING**: Slow update (like, veeeery slow update), yaoi, HinaTsukki with seme!Hinata and uke!Tsukki.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Haikyuu! And never make any money by this fic.

A review/comment before you leave will be awesome :3

**CHAPTER 1  
HOW IT ALL BEGAN**

"If only you were thirty centimeters taller, you could've become a superstar." Said Tsukishima to Hinata.

If someone asked him whether he remembered having saying that, of course he remembered. But he never thought much about that. Yet, he would correct himself. Because if Hinata was thirty centimeters taller, he would've become more of a monster than a superstar.

* * *

The day began like usual. He woke up and got ready for morning practice. The practices had been turned up a notch, especially now that Karasuno was going to face Aoba Jousai for the second time in semifinal nonetheless.

After showered, dried himself, and put on his school uniform Tsukishima then realized something was amiss. His Karasuno jersey that he usually hung above his desk was absent. He wouldn't admit it, but he got just as much pride as his other teammates of the jersey.

"Kei, are you awake?" His mother's voice called from the other side of his bedroom door.

"Yes, I am awake." Tsukishima replied before approaching the door and opened it.

"Oh, you already prepared? So soon." His mother strangely looked surprised. Didn't she already know that every school day he prepared early for morning practice?

"Uh, yeah." Tsukishima mumbled distractedly.

"Good then, come downstairs for breakfast, okay?"

"Yes, I will. But Mom, where is my volley club uniform?"

"Your junior high school volley ball uniform?"

"Not that one, the Karasuno one."

His mother's confused face raised a bad feeling within him.

"Kei, this is your first day in high school. Of course you don't have the uniform yet." Her mother replied with furrowed eyebrows. "Or, did you dream of joining Karasuno's Volley Ball Club already?" His mother added with a chuckle.

Tsukishima was taken back. He even almost recoiled physically. "First day?"

"Exactly. Come on, move now." His mother playfully commanded.

Tsukishima could only blink and stood under the door frame. Unknown dread suddenly strummed all over his body. He took a deep breath, a shuddering breath, before closing the door.

* * *

Tsukishima frantically searched for his phone. When he found it, he unlocked it and stared at the date there. His shoulders slumped and the small panic at the back of his mind grew when the date on the monitor was indeed the date when he had been a fresh student in Karasuno.

"You got to be kidding me." He mumbled to himself.

* * *

At first, Tsukishima's brain helpfully suggested that it was a big prank, a well thought prank, a geniusly executed prank. He was about to ask for explanation from Yamaguchi when all of his classmates didn't recognize him. Even the teachers only smiled and greeted him out of formality, no recognitions in their eyes.

He forced himself to calm down when the panic started bubbling again. Everyone stared at him when he was close to hyperventilating, and he didn't believe in making spectacle out of himself would do him good. Yamaguchi tapped him by his shoulder and instantly concerned for his bestfriend when he saw how pale Tsukishima's face was.

"Tsukki, are you okay?!"

Tsukishima nodded. "Do you have a bottle of water with you?" He really needed that, for his wrecked nerves.

"Yes, wait." Yamaguchi said before fishing out a bottle of water from his bag.

Tsukishima mumbled a small thanks to the shorter boy as he accepted the bottle. He drank the water in large gulps and when he gave it back to Yamaguchi, it was emptied for about three quarters.

He exhaled and inhaled deeply while gradually forced himself to accept the strange phenomenon he was currently in. He needed his calm and straight thought back if he ever wanted to survive this. He didn't know how and why it happened, but everything started anew.

* * *

"Tsukki, what club will you join? Volley ball, right?"

"You already know the answer." Tsukishima mumbled. Somehow it felt like dejavu for him.

"Ahahaha, yes. Sorry, Tsukki."

Tsukishima's mind was still in disarray. Some things, he remembered had happened before. But some other things or events, were new to him. It was like, he started the time over again, but in different version of development. He needed to look this up on internet.

* * *

"Parallel universe, huh?" Tsukishima mumbled. That was the result of his mini research. But that multiversity theory was still hypothetical. He still felt uneasy with all the familiarity, but somehow new, of the events he had encountered so far.

Without him knowing, his feet led him to the gym the volley ball usually used for practice. He heard ball slams echoed from the gym. Good, he really needed to confirm this phenomenon one more time. He steeled himself before walking straight to the gym doors.

The closer he got to the opening of the gym, the more he heard shouts. The more wrecked his nerves became.

"What are you doing here? You should be in Shiratorizawa!"

Tsukishima snorted, that familiar voice, Ou-sama.

But, wait. What was he talking about? Shiratorizawa? And who was he talking to?

"Like hell I would let myself be in the same team with Ushijima-senpai again!"

The voice stopped Tsukishima in his track. He knew that voice, but it was different. The voice he knew was higher in pitch. That voice though, although different, lower and gruffer, still had the similar tune in it that made Tsukishima sure that it was Hinata's voice.

As Tsukishima arrived at the opened entrance doors of the gym, a volley ball flew to his head. He instinctually caught the ball and lowered it slowly.

What he saw stopped all thinking process he should be doing.

"Ah! I am sorry!" Hinata said after shaking off his surprise. "Kageyama, stop provoking me!" He added while still jogging to Tsukishima.

Hinata stopped before him and smiled sheepishly. "Er, sorry. We were overexcited."

Tsukishima looked up, LOOKED UP to Hinata. Damn, never in his wildest dream he thought of looking up to the shrimp that was Hinata.

"Hello?" Hinata waved in front of his face when Tsukishima just stared at him with wide eyes and gaped slightly.

"How tall are you?" Tsukishima's mind was in chaos but he managed to ask the most important thing.

Hinata blinked, didn't expect that question. "192 centimeters." He answered casually.


	2. They Were

Thank you so much for reading this fic, for commenting, and for giving this fic kudos. Really appreciate them all. Thank you :3  
Hope you like this chapter also.

Disclaimer: "I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

**CHAPTER 2**  
**They Were ...**

Tsukishima found himself looking back and forth between the bickering duo. Kageyama kept shouting about how he couldn't defeat Hinata if they were in the same team, and that Hinata should go to Shiratorizawa like Ushijima. In turn Hinata countered that by saying he wouldn't want to enter the team where Ushijima was in, because that meant he couldn't surpass his senpai.

So, in this universe Hinata and Ushijima had been in the same junior high school with the latter being the senior. And thus, made the formerly shrimp looked up to him and wanted to surpass him.

Interesting, Tsukishima thought. He still could rile Hinata using his senpai.

Kageyama was still the Ou-sama, though.

"Ah, wait!" Suddenly Hinata's eyes lit up brightly. "With your skill and mine, we can defeat Ushijima-senpai's team!" Hinata exclaimed excitedly.

"Like hell, I don't want to toss to you." Kageyama grumpily replied.

"Eh? Why!?"

"You annoy me!" Kageyama yelled as he stomped away before taking a volley ball. He then turned around and slanted his eyes to Hinata.

And in a flash, Kageyama did his powerful jump serve. Hinata instinctually dropped into receiving stance.

"What the- Kageyama, what's wrong with you!?" Hinata yelled after he failed to receive the ball.

"He is acting like a girl in her period throwing tantrum." Tsukishima supplied.

"Shut up!" Kageyama shouted. He then turned back to Hinata with condescending stare. "You aren't even able to receive my serve. I don't want to toss to you."

Hinata didn't say anything to that. But he did take a volley ball and give it to Tsukishima.

"Kageyama, let's try how you receive my spike." Hinata said loudly, enough for it to reach Kageyama who was standing meters away from them. Tsukishima thought it was weird how Kageyama visibly tensed being challenged to receive Hinata's spike.

"Can you toss?" Hinata asked to Tsukishima.

"Of course I can. But I don't feel like it."

Tsukishima saw how the vein in Hinata's forehead strained.

"Just. Toss. To. Me." Hinata angrily told him. Which in contrast, Tsukishima seriously thought it was funny.

"I don't hear your 'Please.'" The blond smiled innocently.

Hinata's eye twitched as he blushed. "P-please."

"Good boy." Tsukishima said before went into position.

* * *

His jump wasn't as high compared to his height, but the peak was taller than the short Hinata. He was also fast that Tsukishima could hear the "whoosh" when he ran before spiking the ball he tossed. The spike power, even though not as powerful as Asahi's spike, it was still above average.

The vexation on Kageyama's face after he failed to receive that spike was enough to prove that the black haired boy thought the same about this Hinata.

It made sense. Hinata thought of Ushijima as his senpai that he wanted to surpass. Just like Kageyama to Oikawa. Tsukishima shouldn't be surprised to the fact that this Hinata is almost on par with Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa Academy.

Maybe, they really could go to the national, Tsukishima thought. Just then Sawamura, Sugawara, and Tanaka entered the gym.

And he laughed, really laughed when Kageyama and Hinata serve-spike battle managed to take the Vice Principal's wig off.

He didn't find it funny anymore when Sawamura announced that the club didn't need members that couldn't work together as a team, and couldn't respect each other. Thus, the three of them had to defeat the seniors in a three-on-three match if they wanted to be accepted.

* * *

The next day, they started to practice for the upcoming decisive match with the seniors.

"Kageyama, focus!" Tsukishima didn't know how he ended up to be the mother hen of their small team. If only he wasn't in the gym to toss for Hinata when the Vice Principle came and checked on them, he wouldn't be forced to work together with the nuisance which were Kageyama and Hinata. He encountered a problem also, Kageyama was too bitter, no matter what Hinata did to get to his right side.

Yamaguchi with a cola bottle watched their practice with concealed amusement. He didn't want Tsukishima to see how funny he found it all.

"Stop telling me what to do!"

"Then stop giving toss that hard to spike for Hinata!"

"He has the speed! He could spike that if he put his maximum effort!"

Tsukishima clucked. "Ou-sama." Tsukishima grumbled under his breath.

"Don't call me that." Kageyama said lowly with a glare set on his face.

Tsukishima caught on fast. "But that what you really are, Ou-sama." Tsukishima displayed his annoying smile.

"Er, guys..." Hinata trailed nervously as he looked side by side from Kageyama to Tsukishima.

It didn't take long for the bicker went more and more offensive to the point where Hinata had to be physically in the middle of the two shorter boys to stop them from punching each other.

"Guys, really! We don't have time for this!" Hinata said as he spread his arms out between Kageyama and Tsukishima. "We need to practice!"

Hinata was too busy to separate them away that he didn't see the punch that Kageyama delivered to Tsukishima, and took the punch by himself accidentally.

"Oops." Yamaguchi said from afar.

* * *

"Really stupid of you to take the punch." Tsukishima said flatly as he offered the ice pack that the school clinic nurse prepared for the bruise on Hinata's cheek.

"I didn't. It was accidental." Hinata pouted while taking the offered ice pack. Tsukishima cringed silently. Hinata was too big to make a cute pout. "Where is Kageyama now?" He asked.

"I think Yamaguchi took him away to cool his head." Tsukishima shrugged.

Silence fell between them after that. No one knew what to say. The nurse had left minutes ago after she gave the ice pack to Tsukishima. Hinata stared up at him while still holding the ice pack to his bruised cheek.

"You know what, you are actually caring." Hinata said with a light smile.

Tsukishima stared at him incredulously. Caring? Him?

"You are far more stupid than I thought."

"Hey!" Hinata protested. "But really, besides team mates we are strangers. Why did you even suggest bringing me to clinic?"

Now that he mentioned it. Tsukishima felt something he really shouldn't. He was slightly disappointed to realize that this Hinata only knew him for one day, not the Hinata he knew for months, the one who had shared victories and defeats with him. It wasn't like he particularly like Hinata, being in the same team and practicing every day, meeting every day, made him feel relatively close to the club's members. Right, he had to start anew here.

"By the way Tsukishima," Hinata started, woke him up from his reverie. "Did you watch Kageyama's match last year?"

"Which match?"

"'That' match."

Oh, 'that' match.

"Yeah."

"I expected so. You also know what 'Ou-sama' actually means, right?"

Tsukishima's eyebrows furrowed at that. "Yes."

Hinata looked down with solemn eyes. "Stop teasing him with that. That hits a very bitter spot for him." Hinata said calmly. "He is our setter, we need him stable."

Tsukishima looked away. Did he really have to go through Kageyama's low self-esteem phase again? It wasn't like he cared. It was troublesome.

The door of the clinic room opened and Kageyama with Yamaguchi entered the room. Kageyama looked slightly sheepish and Yamaguchi genuinely curious about Hinata's condition.

"Thanks God it doesn't look bad." Yamaguchi smiled at Hinata as he took a spot beside Tsukishima.

Kageyama shot Tsukishima a small glare before facing Hinata. A blush adorned his face as he mumbled something.

"What?"

"I said I am sorry." Kageyama sulked.

Tsukishima slowly turned to Yamaguchi and raised his eyebrows at him as if asking "What did you do to him?"

"It just, that Ou-sama." Kageyama's voice got smaller at his nickname.

Hinata nodded at that. "But you have to remember that you are not in Kitagawa Daiichi anymore. We all can start anew here." Hinata said. "I wasn't a regular until all my senpai retired. So, I will be grateful to spike every toss people give me." Hinata ended that with a grin.

Kageyama nodded after a few seconds. It was true, Hinata only showed in official matches in their third year of junior high school.

"Um, you can make a perfect team." Yamaguchi suddenly said.

"What are you talking about so suddenly, Yamaguchi?" Tsukishima stared up at him with a flat stare.

"Setter, spiker, and blocker." Yamaguchi referred to all three of them. "You can do it."

Hinata chuckled. "I know better than thinking it will be easy, but we do have hope here."

* * *

They won the match with the seniors. Like what Hinata said, it was not easy. Firstly, Sawamura, Sugawara, and Tanaka didn't look like much but their movements were synchronized much better than them. Sawamura's receive was a trouble by itself. Sugawara might be not a genius setter but he knew what toss best for Sawamura and Tanaka. While Tanaka, he was a menace in the court, especially after being riled up by Tsukishima.

The next day, their supervisor teacher announced that they would have a practice match with none other Aoba Jousai. Déjàvu, Tsukishima thought boredly.

* * *

One thing Tsukishima missed was Hinata's nervous antics before matches. This Hinata, he wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he was far too excited to the point of annoying. In the middle of their match with the seniors, Hinata and Kageyama made a new offensive move, which surprised all the people present except Tsukishima. And now the overly grown kid was babbling about wanting to use that freak quick as soon as possible.

Tsukishima sighed. He really wanted to see Hinata vomiting on Tanaka's lap again.

* * *

With the events repeated itself, Tsukishima had the chance to observe deeper what unfolded before him. He didn't realize it before, but the way Kageyama didn't meet that Turnip Head's eyes was suspicious. The hurt in Kageyama's eyes also much deeper than he initially thought when he saw that Turnip Head being all buddies with his new team mates without giving him a glance.

Was it possible that their relationship was more than team mates? Were they ... bestfriends?

The whistle clued Tsukishima that the server would serve then. He stood before the net. He peeked by the tail of his eyes the way Kageyama eyes lowered slightly and the turnip head in front of them purposely stared away from the both of them. Suspicious in-

*THUD*

Tsukishima couldn't register what happened. He only felt an object slammed the back of his head very hard that it left him dizzy.

"Agh." Tsukishima breathed out and squinted his eyes as he couldn't stand the dizziness and dropped down to his knees and hands.

A firm hand suddenly at the back of his head, caressed it softly in apologetic manner through his short hair.

"Tsukishima, are you okay? Do you hear me?" Hinata's voice sounded very close and it was thick with worry. "Shit! I am sorry! Are you okay?"

"That sounded bad!" Tanaka approached them.

"Hinata stupid! Aim higher!" Kageyama shouted, that stupid setter.

"Take him off of the court! Suga, Shimizu, make sure he is okay!" Sugawara urgently shouted.

"We can call our medic, if you need." That turnip head dared to say something.

"I am okay." Tsukishima finally said as he raised his hands to shoo away Hinata and Yamaguchi who were too close for his liking.

"Are you sure, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked with trembled voice. Oh God no, don't say he started tearing up.

"Tsukishima, don't force yourself." Hinata said while still massaging the back of his head. And what was wrong with him to enjoy that treatment?

"I am alright. Your serve is weak." Tsukishima said as he looked up. Sugawara saw how disoriented his eyes were and shook his head decisively.

"Hinata, if needed haul him off the court now. The medic will treat him shortly."

"But, I am alright." Tsukishima said to general direction of Sugawara with closed eyes as the move brought new wave of dizziness. He felt how Hinata started to drape his arm on his shoulders. Another hand slung to his waist.

"No buts, and you are not."

Hinata helped him up and walked carefully to the side of the court. Unfortunately for them, that serve fail was also counted and that gave Aoba Jousai the score they needed to end the first game.

"I am sorry, Tsukishima." Hinata said nervously. His voice was thick with guilt. "I suck at serve." He added.

"I know right." Tsukishima said lightly. So, in this universe he was the one got a serve behind the head. But unfortunately, Hinata used more force than the one who served to Kageyama's head.

* * *

Tsukishima finally was allowed to join the match by the third game. It seemed like Hinata indeed sucked in serving. It might more powerful than the shrimp Hinata's serves, but it was nowhere near his usual spike yet enough to make him dizzy for about five or so minutes. Takeda told him to stay put for the whole second game just to be sure.

Another person also came to the picture, Oikawa Tooru. Kageyama told them that he learned the killer serve from him and that was enough to put everyone's guard up. Hinata dubbed the boy as "Dai Ou-sama" or the Grand King which was fitting in a sense. And as a bonus, Oikawa got worse personality than Tsukishima. Luckily though, he needed to warm up first before entering the game.

* * *

When the Grand King joined the game, it was a chaos. His serves were the very materialization of evil. That kind of play was enough to shut off their opponent's spirit. Tsukishima was frustrated of how things weren't different when it came to receives. His block was very effective in this match and he could synchronize with Kageyama in offense. How could his receives didn't get any better?

Oikawa got two points off of him already. He grew irritated and overwhelmed.

* * *

One more, one more scoring and they sealed their victory in this practice match. Tsukishima wiped the sweats off his forehead. He looked around him and his team mates looked restless. Oikawa would serve now.

"Tch." Tsukishima clucked when once again Oikawa smiled mockingly to him. He would serve to him again, he knew it.

"Get closer to the line." Samawura whispered.

Tsukishima nodded before stood closer to the side line. When he back into stance, he saw how Hinata stared at him with his unnerving piercing gaze. Tsukishima glared at him and Hinata finally turned toward their opponents.

"Kageyama." Hinata called as they prepared for the next rally. "Give me indirect toss."

"Huh? But our freak quick will be really effective to score this one."

"I want to take aim."

Kageyama stopped himself from saying anything as he saw Hinata's eyes. They were wide and intensely focusing on Oikawa. His posture straight, relaxed, and ready. He could see all Hinata's reflexes were on their highest alert.

"I will kick you if you don't score with this one." Kageyama said quietly, didn't want to distract Hinata whom he thought was in the zone.

* * *

Oikawa released the breath he unconsciously held. He looked behind where the ball bounced away. The ball had been spiked by Hinata, it slashed through the air right to the side of his head. Oikawa could almost see himself reflected in Hinata's eyes the moment before he spiked to his direction.

It was a warning, or revenge after he mocked his teammate, Oikawa wasn't sure. But it did sent shiver to his body. He looked up to Hinata, where he could imagine Ushijima was standing there instead of the strawberry blond boy.

"Oi, Oikawa, let's line up." Iwaizumi patted the back of his shoulder.

"Ah! Right."

* * *

The practice match finished with Karasuno's victory. They were preparing to go back and Tsukishima was casually walking toward the men toilet when he heard Kageyama and the Turnip's voices spoke in harsh whispers within the toilet. He was about to pass the doorway of the toilet when a hand suddenly pulled him back.

"Shh!" Hinata hushed him.

"Hina-"

"Shh! be quiet." Hinata whispered. He dragged the blonde away from the doorway and took one turn before latching himself to the wall.

"What are you doing?" Tsukishima asked irritatedly. Hinata dragged him without asking and the taller boy now stupidly latched himself at a wall.

"Listen." Hinata said lowly as he pointed to the wall.

"What? You want me to latch myself onto the wall also? That's stupid."

"Just stand closer to the wall." Hinata instructed with such urgency that made Tsukishima curious.

* * *

"What are we now?" Kageyama asked. His voice was firm but the hurt was too thick to escape Kindaichi's ears.

"It's clear, Kageyama."

"It's not clear! We have no contact after... after that."

"And whose fault was that!?" Kindaichi spun quickly to face him. "You were the one who cut off any means for me to contact you!"

"Why did you do that in the first place!?" Kageyama frustatedly asked. "Why did you do that too?"

Kindaichi looked away. His hands were in fists and his shoulders were strained.

"You were arrogant! You didn't hear to anyone and everyone should do whatever you ordered!" Kindaichi harshly said.

"But you were my-"

"And because of that it was harder for me! The team was getting angry by each time you lashed out on them! I didn't know what to do! Which to choose, my team or my boyfriend!"

Kageyama felt his eyes got warm. He looked away to distracted himself from the pain, but it was no use.

"Remember the week before the preliminary? That week I kept bugging you to stop getting angry in court?" Kindaichi gritted his teeth. "And you didn't listen, again. You never did!"

Kageyama stared at Kindaichi with despair. It was sickening. It hurt, he admitted. He wanted to get away as far as possible from this room, away from the boy before him.

"So, we are over." Kageyama stated, more to himself. He looked down and let his bangs shield him from Kindaichi's eyes.

Kindaichi gulped the lump in his throat as he watched Kageyama's trembled shoulders. He was so sure to get this over with when he signaled Kageyama to follow him. How come it felt very hard now?

"We are over."

* * *

Tsukishima stepped away from the wall in front of him. Hinata beside him was still staring ahead to the wall with a prominent frown. He turned sideways toward Tsukishima and when their eyes met, they couldn't say anything.

If he was the Tsukishima who only knew Kageyama for days, he wouldn't be affected by that. But he was the Tsukishima who knew Kageyama for months. And it was a big lie if he said that whatever he heard right there didn't make him feel anything.

"Um, let's go back to the others." Hinata said as he softly urged the blonde away by the sleeve of his Karasuno jacket.

"They were boyfriends." Tsukishima said.

"Does that bother you?" Hinata asked. Tsukishima wasn't sure if it was only his imagination or not, but Hinata sounded offended.

"No, of course not." He replied quickly. "I want to go to the toilet first."

He just hoped Kageyama and that Turnip Head were already gone from the toilet room.

**End of Chapter 2**

Thanks for reading. Review will be highly appreciated, since they give me power to write more :3


	3. Cute

Disclaimer: I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters and never make any money by this fic.

Plus, thank you so much for reading this fic :3

**CHAPTER 3  
CUTE**

The bell for lunch time rang. On that clue all the students packed up and arranged their table for having their lunch together. Some chose to have their lunch in small groups, some chose to have large group. Yamaguchi looked back to Tsukishima with a toothy grin as he maneuvered his chair to face him.

"Tsukki, what do you have for lunch?" He asked as eager as a little puppy, which he was in a sense.

"I haven't checked it yet." Tsukishima replied as flat as usual. The blond was about to open the bento box before him when the sliding door of their class opened, followed by loud entrance of Hinata Shouyo. "There you are!"

"Woah, so tall." Tsukishima heard his classmate commented. The irony of all this for him couldn't be more dramatic. Never in his wildest dream, before all this happened, had he thought he would hear someone says Hinata tall.

"Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, let's have lunch together!" Hinata said as he casually entered the class, which was clearly not his.

Yamaguchi's eyes sparkled and was about to say something but Tsukishima bit him.

"I refuse." Seriously, he didn't need to spend more time than he should with this one idiot.

"Don't be so difficult. It's us being generous inviting you."

Make it two idiots since apparently Kageyama tagged along with the taller boy.

"Oh, yeah sure. I should be grateful that Ou-sama even considers to stoop so low to invite us, the peasants." Tsukishima smiled mockingly.

"You bast-"

"So, you are joining us?" Hinata cut whatever curse Kageyama wanted to say.

"No." Tsukishima flatly refused before focusing back to his bento box.

"Er, Tsukki, I think that's a good idea."

"Hah?" Tsukishima glared.

"I-I mean, f-for team bounding!" Yamaguchi quickly raised his hands in a show of surrender.

"Right! Right!" Hinata beamed, knowing that someone caught on his logic. "You are not opposing it, right?"

"Um, I am not." Yamaguchi smiled thinly. Still aware that the blond boy was still staring at him.

"Good then! Let's go!" Hinata said as he took the back of Yamaguchi's collar and proceeded to drag the shorter boy.

"Wha-what are you doing, Hinata!?" Yamaguchi shrieked as Hinata tugged the back of his collar. He gripped the end of Tsukishima's table to stand his ground.

"Make you join us before you change your mind." Hinata cheerfully said as he tugged at the collar of the smaller boy again.

"Ah! Tsukki!" Yamaguchi grabbed Tsukishima's arm.

"Hey! Yamaguchi, let me go!"

"Nooo, Tsukki!" The black haired boy tightened his hold on him. Hinata grinned seeing that, he then proceeded to drag them away by circling his arm around Yamaguchi's torso and proceeded to drag them away.

Feeling the change, Yamaguchi held his bestfriend even tighter. Surprisingly, Hinata had the force to move both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. The two struggling boys screamed, or shouted curses in Tsukishima's case to Hinata's way. Kageyama had the gut to push Tsukishima thus helping Hinata in dragging them away for the so called team-bounding-lunch.

Then Kageyama calmly closed the class door, leaving all the inhabitants wondered what the hell just had happened.

* * *

"Stop glaring, it's not that bad." Hinata's voice was muffled with his lunch.

"It's that bad." Tsukishima calmly said but the annoyance clearly was shown with his frown.

"You are acting like a PMS-ing girl." Kageyama casually said with a mouthful of rice.

"Kageyama." Tsukishima glared at him. "You are very not creative for copying my mockery."

"Hah? You have a problem with that?" Kageyama raised his chopsticks and made a supposed-to-be threatening manner.

"Actually, I want to discuss something with all of you." Hinata started after he swallowed his food.

"What is it?" Yamaguchi asked, seemed genuinely interested.

"We actually have an Ace." Hinata said slowly.

* * *

They finally got their ace and libero back. Tsukishima saw it coming, literally, so it was not a surprise for him. The excitement of having their teammates back was still ringing in the air, and Tsukishima subconsciously smiled thinly, reminiscing this very event from his own time.

"You should smile more."

Tsukishima blinked and turned to his side where Hinata grinned slightly.

"Pardon me?" Tsukishima asked, he wasn't sure he heard that right.

"You should smile more, it's cute." Hinata grinned wider.

Oh, the nerve!

Tsukishima did the unthinkable, he kicked Hinata by his butt. The taller boy yelped before protesting on Tsukishima's reaction. Yamaguchi jaw-dropped and Kageyama snorted not so gracefully.

"Our first years seem very close to each other, right?" Asahi said, oblivious with the exasperation on Sugawara's face.

* * *

Tsukishima was mad! Hinata kept calling him cute in front of all their teammates and he was doing it just to annoy him, he knew it! He didn't even mean it.

So, Tsukishima huffed and walked away from their group. He ignored Suga-san's and Yamaguchi's voices when they called him back, he was so pissed!

Tsukishima peered back. Tch, Yamaguchi didn't follow him now? Fine, it was not like he needed him. He could be by his own just right, without disturbance from anyone.

"Ugh." Tsukishima accidently walked to someone else's back. He didn't realize he was so focused on his anger that he didn't see his path. He stepped back and wanted to apologize, but his words died in his throat.

"What the fuck brat!?" A ragged looking highschooler with blazer uniform and spiky hair spun to face him. He was shorter than him slightly, but with bulkier build. Tsukishima estimated, he was in his third year. The boy was with his other four companions who turned toward their friend after hearing the commotion.

"Do you want a problem, huh?" The older boy challenged as he stepped closer to Tsukishima.

Tsukishima wasn't stupid to not realize he was in a very bad predicament. Five against one, he couldn't get out of this unharmed, let alone win. But Tsukishima wasn't Tsukishima if he showed cowardice. So, he looked at them levelly.

"I am sorry." Tsukishima apologized calmly.

"Pfft, 'I am sorry'." The boy mocked, followed by his friends' laughter. "You think you can get away with just a sorry!?" He yelled as he shoved the blond harshly.

Tsukishima closed his eyes to calm himself and stopped himself from clicking his tongue.

"Whoa!" One of the other boys approached them. He stared at Tsukishima's headphones and the smartphone in his grip. Shit.

"This guy is a rich brat! I want his headphones!" The boy smirked as he beckoned his friends to come closer.

Like hell he would just give them his headphones.

"Right, that smartphone looks good." Another one said.

They were all wrong if they thought he wouldn't give a fight.

"I don't care about his things. He is cute, I want him." Another one said with a leering smirk. His other friend guffawed and said something about Tsukishima was totally his type.

Shit, that was it.

Tsukishima ran, back to the way he came.

Tsukishima didn't care anymore if someone said he was a coward. That last statement gave him a certain terror that his body went autopilot to avoid the danger. The five highschoolers was quick to run after him. Tsukishima hoped that his team was not too far away.

* * *

Hinata sprinted lightly to the way Tsukishima walked out. Hinata cursed himself for teasing the shorter blond too far. He should have known that Tsukishima would be royally pissed to be called cute repeatedly in front of all their teammates, he wasn't Sugawara-san! Then again, maybe even Sugawara-san wouldn't like it if someone called him cute.

Yamaguchi had volunteered to persuade Tsukishima to be back since their new coach wanted to treat them pork buns. But Sugawara-san stopped him and told Hinata to go after Tsukishima and made up.

Gah! It wasn't his fault to find Tsukishima's smile cute!

And no, Hinata wasn't ashamed to admit that. He never had a problem of expressing himself. He sometimes found boys more attractive than girls. That did bother him for awhile, but he just shrugged it off and focused on volleyball as to not over think it.

In front of him was a turn. Right, Tsukishima must take that turn. A little more and he caught up to him. The problem was, how should he word his greeting so Tsukishima didn't immediately brush him off?

"WHOA!" Just before he reached the turn, Tsukishima appeared while running so fast.

"HINA-" And collided with him.

They stumbled on the ground by the force of Tsukishima's running. Hinata moaned as he hugged his abdomen where Tsukishima's elbow accidently hit him. The blond immediately sat up and took Hinata's arm, urged him to stand up.

"Tsukishima, what's wrong?"

"Hurry up! We have to get away!"

Just after Tsukishima said that, five older highschoolers appeared from that turn. They stopped in their tracks seeing Tsukishima and Hinata on the ground.

"What happened?" Hinata whispered, he got a general idea seeing the delinquent-looks those five highschoolers had. The grip Tsukishima had around his upper arm went tighter and that was all confirmation Hinata needed.

"Hahaha, the blond multiplied!" One of them mockingly said.

Tsukishima and Hinata stood slowly. Their eyes never left the other five students who smirked triumphantly to them. Their smirks faltered a bit seeing Hinata's height. Good, Hinata thought.

"Headphones." Another boy said cockily as he pointed to Tsukishima's neck. The way he did that prickled Hinata's anger.

"And smartphone." Another one playfully added as he patted his friend's back as if to remind him.

"Aw man, you can get what you want and not me?" The boy, who previously leered at Tsukishima said. Tsukishima knew what thing he wanted by that.

The rare combination of humiliation, disgust, and anger on Tsukishima's face really intrigued Hinata. Hinata turned back toward the boys and the way that one boy leered at Tsukishima snapped something inside him.

Tsukishima felt the change of air around Hinata. He looked up to the taller boy and chill ran up his spine. Hinata's eyes focused on that leering boy, his eyes wide, but strangely predatory. His body relaxed but highly alert. Plus his height, that combination was extremely intimidating. Tsukishima saw this a few times, even before he was thrown in this timeline, but it still overwhelmed him witnessing it this close.

Tsukishima then noticed the sudden silence around him. He turned toward the delinquents and found them silently fidgeting on their spots. They felt Hinata's intimidating aura too. It was comical had they wasn't still in danger.

"Tch." One of them put a brave face. "Give me your headphones!" The shout was nothing but nervous.

Hinata moved closer to them and Tsukishima held him back, desperately wanted to avoid any fights if possible. They were school athletes, and fighting news would be bad for them.

"Oh, thanks God. Hinata! Tsukishima!"

Tsukishima turned back toward the voice. He didn't know whether he should feel grateful or worry more. Azumane-san was sprinting toward them, he didn't want to add more casualties if fight ensued.

"Sh-shit!" One of the delinquents cursed. His friends turned to him in wonder. "That's Karasuno's Azumane! Man, I don't want to do anything with him!" He said in panic.

"Karasuno's Azumane!? You mean the one beat five adult guys when they didn't want to buy his drugs!?"

"Yes! That Azumane! I'm out of this!" He said before running as fast as he could. Two of their group followed suit, shouting about he didn't want Azumane to know his face.

"Hey, fuck!" The supposed to be leader of the group cursed. He was alternated between snatching Tsukishima's headphones and running. Hinata's stare didn't help him also, so he ran away from the scene, dragging his friend away.

When Azumane arrived, he smiled toward them and asked. "Are those your friends?"

Tsukishima released the breath he unconsciously held. He looked to Asahi and a relieved lopsided smile was on his face. "Thank you, Azumane-san."

Asahi raised his eyebrows at that. "For what?"

"Asahi-san, why are you here?" Hinata asked, back to his usual self already.

"Suga thinks that you may fight so he sent me, just in case." Asahi said with a sincere grin. "By the way, are you guys... already make up? Because Suga will terror me if you haven't when we are back." Asahi asked sheepishly.

Tsukishima and Hinata looked at each other. Hinata's eyes were apologetic. Tsukishima tempted to drag this on but the relieve he felt made it difficult to stay annoyed.

"Yes, we are good." Tsukishima said with his flat stare.

Hinata made a 'YES!' gesture silently behind the shorter blond. Asahi chuckled seeing their antics before urging them to go back to their team.

Tsukishima smiled thinly, and this time he made sure Hinata didn't see it. At least, his concern now only on their upcoming practice match with Nekoma.

**End of Chapter 3**

Thanks for reading. Review~~?


	4. Crush and Jealousy, Maybe

Disclaimer: "I don't own Haikyuu and never make any money by this fic."

AN: Thank you so much for your reviews guys! But, unfortunately I had not enough time to reply your review one by one (I was in the office when updating this, jfyi). Your reviews though, are highly appreciated and I'm very grateful for whoever spent their time to read and review this fic.

**CHAPTER 4  
Crush and Jealousy, Maybe**

Something had changed since that day. The day Hinata called him cute. Well, not exactly "him" that Hinata said cute, but his smile. Tsukishima couldn't grasp what had changed, but he could feel it. It wasn't from him, because he wondered and noticed the awkward air around him and Hinata whenever they were left alone in a corner of the gym, or just being in close distance in general. So he concluded, it was from Hinata's end.

The boy couldn't maintain eye contact more than two seconds with him. His smile and grin didn't deceive Tsukishima out of his nervousness. Hinata also avoided him, but it was very subtle that Tsukishima barely noticed it had he not that observant.

And that had been going on for more than one week.

"STUPID HINATA! FOCUS!" Kageyama shouted as Hinata once again missed his toss.

"I am!" The taller boy cowered slightly.

"NO, YOU ARE NOT!"

Tch, Ou-sama seemed very energetic today. He was glad that Kageyama was still the oblivious simpleton like he was before. Not that everyone changed, but the way they were around Hinata was slightly changed. Like, how Tanaka and Hinata shared tips here and there for powerful spiking, how Asahi saw him more like an equal and less like his junior (not a rival, Asahi wasn't that though), and how Daichi insisted on training Hinata's receiving harder since he felt it was very wasteful if Hinata only packed with offensive prowess.

And he got a very proportional amount of muscle accompanied his height. Unlike Tsukishima who was more to the lean side. Tsukishima should admit Hinata's body was pleasing to the eye. Not that he wanted to see it.

"Hinata seems off with his game these days." Sugawara suddenly spoke beside him.

"Really?" Tsukishima was actually surprised since he didn't feel his senior stood beside him.

Sugawara nodded. "Ukai-san noticed that too. He said his spikes apparently losing their purpose."

Tsukishima wanted to snort and say that spikes are not living beings with intelligence that they had purposes, when Sugawara added "You two really need to sort out your problems."

Tsukishima turned to his senior sharply. "What?"

Sugawara looked up with a soft smile. "You two are having a problem, a fight maybe?"

Tsukishima was silent for several second. Why did Sugawara think like that?

"No, we don't have any fights. Our argument that day was resolved."

Sugawara blinked, seriously confused. "Really?"

"Really."

"Oh." Sugawara turned to look at Hinata's way where he practiced his receiving now. "Sorry, I thought he had a fight with you, because you daydream too much these days."

Tsukishima blinked. He daydreamt?

(-)

"What's wrong with Hinata? The gym is getting quieter without him being hyperactive." Yamaguchi mumbled mostly to himself but that caught Tsukishima's attention. The blond stopped mid-chew.

"You noticed that too?"

"Of course. Everyone in the club noticed that. Kageyama even tried to make him angry but Hinata didn't react as usual."

Tsukishima just stared at Yamaguchi who was still mumbling to himself about Hinata was being weird. He then continued chewing his lunch which he didn't realize still in his mouth and hadn't been swallowed yet.

Was it really about him?

(-)

Tsukishima took his time in the club room longer than usual. He had changed for afternoon practice, but he wanted to confront the tallest Karasuno player about his weird behavior. It wasn't like he cared, it just, he didn't want to be the person who hindered the team work, if the problem of Hinata's was really about him.

And damn that Hinata, he should have been here if he didn't want to be late. Tsukishima checked the clock in the club room. Usually the practice would have been started five minutes ago, but if there were two or more players weren't present yet, they usually waited for them.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi called urgently as he opened the door.

"Yamaguchi?"

"What are you doing here? Everyone is already practicing! You missed the warming up!"

"What!?" Tsukishima stood up quickly.

"Hurry up!"

"But, where is Hinata?" Tsukishima quickly got out of the club room.

"He is already in the gym!" Yamaguchi said as he urged Tsukishima to sprint.

"But he didn't come to the club room!"

"He changed in the gym before Kiyoko-san arrived!"

"For real!?"

That's it! Hinata avoided him to the point of changing his clothes in the gym! Tsukishima definitely would make the strawberry blond boy talk. Preferably before their training camp.

(-)

Hinata was a very slippery boy for his size. Tsukishima couldn't corner him once. And every time the chance slipped away, his temper got worse. Yamaguchi felt that and he knew that his black-haired bestfriend was afraid that he would just explode and drag Hinata away to speak. He might not look like it but he was also a teenager who tended to rush things.

The first years were currently setting out the futons in the appointed sleeping room. The place they used for the training camp was a cozy one and although Tsukishima grumbled before in his own time, he didn't this time. He was too focusing on cornering Hinata that he didn't have the time to complain about that.

"I can't wait for tomorrow!" Hinata's enthusiastic voice sounded from a far corner.

Yamaguchi perked hearing that. "Me too!"

"We are here not to play, we train here." Kageyama said as he neatly cover a futon with a blanket.

"Either way I am excited! What training Ukai-san has prepared for us?" Hinata asked with sparkling eyes.

Kageyama shrugged. "I don't know. But assuming his intention to defeat our long-time rival, the Nekoma, the training menu must be hard."

"Ooh! I am ready!" Hinata said as he jumped from his sitting position.

Tanaka entered the room with a small towel hanging by his neck. "Oi, first years, you can have the bath now." He said before disappearing again.

"Oh, right on time." Hinata said as he picked his toiletries. "Oi, Kageyama, let's race for the bathing! Who can bath faster!" Hinata challenge.

But unfortunately, Kageyama had expected that. So, the moment Hinata finished talking, Kageyama dashed out of the room.

"KAGEYAMA THAT'S CHEATING!" Hinata shouted as he ran as fast as he could to the communal bathroom.

Yamaguchi turned to his bestfriend. "Tsukki, shall we join them?"

"Hell no."

(-)

Not even one minute since their possessed-like running to the communal bathing room, Kageyama rushed back to the room yelling like crazy about his shampoo and he wouldn't accept to be defeated like this.

Tsukishima wanted to shout back to shut him up when an idea popped into his mind. Kageyama was here, so Hinata was alone in the communal bath.

"Yamaguchi, distract Kageyama." Tsukishima whispered as he picked up his toiletries quickly.

"Eh?"

(-)

Hinata immersed himself into the hot bath. He sighed, enjoying the hot water caressing his nerve endings. Ah, today had been tiring with the afternoon practice after school and settling himself to the training camp site.

Hinata rested his head to the wall of the bath and looked up. His mind had been messed up since that day. The day he saw Tsukishima's smile. He got no problems admitting that he sometimes felt stronger attraction towards boys than to girls. He wasn't ashamed, because that how he was. His junior highschool friends didn't mind about that too.

If he was only attracted to a boy's appearance, he would be okay, though sometimes he got black eye for expressing it in front of the said boy. But this time, it was different.

From the first time he saw Tsukishima, he was different. He was tall, on par with his height. And he was cute despite his personality. Gah, his personality was a major turn off but this time Hinata didn't find it as something unattractive. Tsukishima intrigued him.

The night after he said Tsukishima cute, he knew he was doomed. Because he realized, he was developing a crush to the blond boy.

That was why he tried his best to avoid Tsukishima without being too obvious about it. Hinata thought, with being physically away from each other, and the lack of interaction, the crush he felt for the blond would vanish. He was subtle with the avoiding, but apparently not enough since his team mates started noticing the change in his and Tsukishima's interaction.

By the way, what took Kageyama too long? He just forgot his shampoo.

The sliding door of the bath opened. Hinata grinned and said "Took you long enough, if I took a false start I would win right away." Hinata said as he turned to face the direction of the door.

And instantly petrified.

"Tsu-" Hinata stuttered, he couldn't find the strength to move his jaw. Because right there, in front of the sliding door was standing the very boy whom he developed a crush for.

"Tsukishima!" Hinata jumped back toward the far side of the bath. The water rippled harshly because of his movement.

"You are avoiding me." Tsukishima said as he advanced toward the cowering Hinata.

"I-I am not!"

"Why?"

Silence fell upon them after that. Hinata was speechless and he just sat at the other side of the bath, facing Tsukishima. Tsukishima just stood where he was and waited for an answer. He never thought about speaking with Hinata under this circumstance, but well, he got the time together with the taller boy and he wouldn't waste it.

And Tsukishima purposefully didn't acknowledge the undress state Hinata was in. Nope, he definitely didn't admire those muscles flexed about.

"Hinata, why?" Tsukishima tried again.

Hinata looked flustered. He really needed something to distract Tsukishima from his question. He wouldn't answer with 'I think I have a crush for you', would he?

"Aren't you going to take a bath?"

Yes, that definitely gave Tsukishima something to do other than waiting for his answer. But that gave Hinata a whole new problem.

Tsukishima proceeded to undress and would join him in the bath.

HOLY SHIT!

(-)

"So, care to explain why are you avoiding me?" Tsukishima asked as he folded his arms in front of his bare chest.

Hinata re-imagined The Ring movie he recently watched with his sister just to distract himself from the fact that Tsukishima was naked in front of him.

"Oi, Hinata." Tsukishima called again, but this time the blond was about to move to his side of the big bath.

"Wh-what are you doing!?"

"You are ignoring me." Tsukishima sat back to his own spot. Hinata released a mental sigh of relieve at that.

"Well, sorry about that." Hinata said sheepishly as he focused his eyes on the area just above Tsukishima's head. If the blond noticed that, he didn't say anything.

"Then answer me." Hinata could see that Tsukishima's patience was wearing thin, fast.

He had to say something. Something plausible and sounded natural, and fast! Think, Hinata. Think! And stop staring at how cute and attractive Tsukishima looked without his glasses on.

Cute?

Oh, that's right!

"Because I called you cute!" Hinata spluttered. His face was red form the hot bath and embarrassment as the memory came again.

Pink dusted Tsukishima's cheeks and Hinata purposely averted his eyes from that sight.

"I don't get it."

Hinata smiled nervously. "I called you cute, so I thought you were uncomfortable around me. I thought you were disturbed by that."

Silence fell upon them, again. Hinata felt like fidgeting on his spot while Tsukishima frowned and seemed lost in his thought.

"You call me cute, I find that annoying and embarrassing. But, I don't think I find it disturbing." Tsukishima started. "If I found it disturbing, I would be the one avoiding you and wouldn't be here." He ended that with a shrug.

"Oh..." Hinata responded. "Right."

Hinata felt a sheer of happiness and, dared he say, hope after hearing that from Tsukishima. It sounded like Tsukishima had no problems with that kind of relationship. But, Hinata realized, he should never put his hopes high about this thing. Tsukishima might have no problem with that but that didn't mean that Tsukishima wouldn't mind having that kind of relationship with another boy.

At least, his secret about his crush for Tsukishima was safe.

"Correct. So, stop avoiding me. And get your head in the right order and stop messing the practices." Tsukishima said casually but the condescending tune was heard clearly. "You hinder the team."

"I-I know that!" Hinata pouted, hiding the fact that he partially relieved that he was safe now. "I'll do my best starting tomorrow." He added.

(-)

After hard trainings throughout the training camp, the day had finally come. They were going to have a practice match with their biggest rival, the Nekoma.

Of all the people from Karasuno, it seemed that Coach Ukai was the most enthusiastic for the practice match. Later, they knew that Ukai was in Karasuno when the rivalry between Nekoma and Karasuno was at its peak.

They lined up in front of the stadium. Tsukishima was standing before a tall first year, or as he remembered to be a first year. He didn't really remember the order of their lining up in his timeline, he forgot already whom he had stood before. Not like that mattered so he didn't dwell on it. Beside him was Hinata who was strangely happy facing a short player, with a strange hair style.

"Woah! Kenma, you didn't say you were a Nekoma player!" Hinata exclaimed.

"You didn't ask." The Kenma boy said flatly.

"But, how do you know I was in Karasuno?"

"I saw your shirt."

"Gah, that's not fair." Hinata whined.

The captains finally made their call to their own teammates to enter the gym, after some minutes of cold war. Hinata waved the shorter boy a small "see you inside" before adjusting his backpack.

"Do you know him before?" Tsukishima asked as he walked beside the taller boy.

"Kenma? We just met yesterday, though." Hinata said absent-mindedly. "I won't forget that cute face." He grinned widely.

A surge of foreign unpleasant feeling hit Tsukishima square in the chest. Suddenly, he really, really hated Hinata... and that pudding head boy. He stopped in his track and frowned to the back of Hinata's head. Feeling the abrupt change of pace from Tsukishima, the strawberry blond boy turned to around.

"Hey, come on, let's-" Everything died in Hinata's throat seeing the annoyed look on Tsukishima's face.

"I understand now." Tsukishima said.

"Huh?"

"You call everyone cute."

Hinata blinked once, twice, and thrice before it dawned to him. His face paled instantly. He called Tsukishima cute before, then he called another boy cute just as easily. But it was different! "Kenma's 'cute'" was different than "Tsukishima's 'cute'"! The 'cute' he gave Tsukishima had a whole different meaning, it was much more serious than the 'cute' he had for Kenma which was friendly and casual.

"It's different! And not everyone! Just the people I genuinely find cute!"

"Then you find everyone cute." Tsukishima said as he shoved past the taller boy and walked away with a huff.

"What? No! I don't find Tanaka-senpai cute!"

"I don't want to hear any of it."

"Waaaaait, Tsukishima!" Hinata wailed desperately as he tailed Tsukishima to the gym and proceeded on explaining himself, which he really didn't have the obligation to.

Kageyama's water bottle fell on the ground seeing their interaction. He got experience with that kind of relationship, thus, if he was not mistaken, just then, he dared to say that Tsukishima was jealous.

(-)

"Hey, listen first!" Hinata said as he unzipped his jacket and proceeded to take it off. The person he was talking to was ignoring him and opted to clean his glasses.

The two tallest players of Karasuno were still bickering. Their argument caught Kuroo's attention and he found it very interesting. He didn't expect to see something this interesting by coming here. Well, just think of it as a bonus.

It would be much more interesting if he made a drama out of them.

"Kuroo, stop." Kenma suddenly said beside him.

Kuroo turned to him with an obviously fake innocent face. "What?"

"They are a couple, don't do anything stupid." Kenma murmured before taking a water bottle to hydrate himself properly.

Kuroo clicked his tongue but didn't say anything. He sometimes found Kenma's ability to read him as a troublesome thing.

"I know that. I won't do any damaging thing to a real couple, you know." Kuroo grumbled lightly.

If only he knew that they were not a couple… yet.

**Thanks for reading this fic. Aaaaand, review?**


	5. Two Boiled Shrimps

Thank you so much for reading and especially reviewing this fic. Your reviews are the ones that keep me writing. Thank you!

Disclaimer: "I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters, and never make any money by this fic."

**TWO BOILED SHRIMPS**

"He is still sulking." Kageyama whispered to Hinata. The bullet train was carrying them home after countless losses from Nekoma in that day's practice match.

"I know right. He always avoids me when I want to explain myself." Hinata whispered back.

Kageyama kept it to himself the fact that Tsukishima acted precisely like a sulking, jealous boyfriend. He wouldn't say that since it would make their situation worse, especially if Tsukishima heard that. Despite his annoyance toward Tsukishima, with his frequent taunts, Kageyama didn't want to damage the newfound relationship potential. It would be interesting if they really became a couple.

"Text Yamaguchi and ask him to give his seat to you." Kageyama suggested. Yamaguchi was sitting right beside Tsukishima who was right by the window. His headphones were firmly placed over his ears.

* * *

Tsukishima felt the seat beside him sunk lower than before. He looked to the side and found Hinata grinned nervously at him instead of Yamaguchi who was talking to Kageyama now.

That traitor.

Tsukishima sighed resignedly and he took out his phone to turn up the volume of the song he was hearing through the white headphones.

Tsukishima almost jumped out of his seat when Hinata's hand suddenly covered his and took his phone out of his grasp.

"What do you think you are doing?" Tsukishima asked with irritation as he lowered his headphones. His smartphone was in Hinata's hand now.

"It's totally different." Hinata suddenly said, didn't give Tsukishima a chance to excuse himself out of the inevitable explanation. "And I don't find everyone cute. You may not feel the difference, but the 'cute' I think of Kenma was totally casual, friendly. It just like, when boys look at girls and say 'that chick is hot', and then it's over."

Hinata blushed brightly as he explained that. He knew that Tsukishima was smart, so he was sure Tsukishima realized what that explanation implied.

The 'cute' Hinata thought about Tsukishima was not casual, not in friendly-kind-of-thing way. Hinata could've smacked himself of how stupid he was for not making it much more subtle. Then again, he was never known for his subtleness. Hinata could feel his face get very hot, and getting hotter as he noticed that Tsukishima looked at him with curious face.

Slowly though, Tsukishima's face heated up as Hinata's explanation dawned on him. Plus, the realization of how silly he had been acting crashed upon him. He was getting annoyed of Hinata because something unreasonable, because Hinata called another boy 'cute'. Tsukishima didn't have the rights to be angry in the first place. Hinata didn't need to explain himself. So, why did Tsukishima felt angry? Why did Hinata felt the need to explain himself to Tsukishima?

Damn, since when they acted like a couple?

"Fine, I understand. Now go away." Tsukishima hurriedly said as he shoved the taller boy out of his seat. "Call Yamaguchi to sit back here."

"So, we are okay now?" A grin slowly formed on Hinata's face.

"Yes, we are. Now, go away!" Tsukishima said with a forceful shove.

Hinata chuckled in happiness as he rose from the seat. He highfived Yamaguchi on his way to his original seat. Yamaguchi gulped seeing the accusing stare Tsukishima sent to his way, but the slight blush ruined his usual scary face.

* * *

The guilt ate him from inside. Why did he felt guilty? Kageyama deserved those treatments! With his demanding attitude, ordering the team like they were his servants and only himself had the authority to say anything just because he was known as a genius setter.

Moreover, he had stated it clearly, drawing the clear line in the process, which they had broken up. They were not boyfriends anymore, they were...strangers.

But why did this guilt still lingering in his heart and mind? Whenever he saw volleyball, or everything related to volley, his mind would wander to Kageyama and reminded him of the guilt he always felt.

Damn, he should not feel this guilty. Kageyama deserved that. And their relationship was beyond repair, not with Kageyama had cut off any means for Kindaichi to contact him after that one match, and not after Kindaichi gave up, angrily, to contact Kageyama ever again when the setter just started to turn on his mobile phone.

Kindaichi kept telling himself that. Kageyama deserved those treatments.

Then, why did the guilt still stab his heart?

* * *

Kindaichi stepped off the bus that had carried them to the stadium where the preliminary games would take place. He walked forward together with his team mates who were all excited. Kunimi was behind him with his usual flat stare; it wasn't their first time to be here.

Kindaichi put a small smile but once again his heart constricted slightly seeing the large stadium. The flashes of that day repeated vaguely behind his eyes. Kageyama's face, though, when he realized the rejection of their teammates, was clear like yesterday's memory. And that wiped the small smile Kindaichi had.

Kunimi patted his shoulder once. "We will go to the national this time."

Kindaichi put a smirk at that. Yeah, he should focus on their new goal now. It was useless thinking about the past.

* * *

Shit. Why did he have to appear now?

Kindaichi thought as he stopped walking when they crossed path with Karasuno's players. Iwaizumi immediately greeted them. The Captain of Karasuno team and his senior exchanged words out of courtesy for healthy rivalry.

Kindaichi's eyes never left Kageyama, who never looked at his way. The light in his eyes reflected only one emotion. Hurt.

Kageyama was still hurting. And he was one of the people who hurt him.

But he deserved that!

Kindaichi was surprised when the teams started to move on. He saw how Iwaizumi and Karasuno's captain said "See you in the court" to each other and led their team away. Kunimi nudged his side to move, but he couldn't.

He saw Kageyama closed his eyes before walking forward, passed him, with his eyes closed.

Kindaichi was about to turn around to Kageyama's way, when someone very tall walked right after Kageyama. Hinata, he remembered very well. He was in Shiratorizawa Junior High School, the very rival of their school. Kindaichi also remembered how Kageyama was all over defeating him, almost like Oikawa to Ushijima.

Hinata stared at him and his intimidating aura stopped him from doing anything. He wanted to flip him off but the way Hinata's eyes pierced him told him that the taller boy knew everything. Hinata only stopped when a blond boy, with glasses, whom Kindaichi remembered from their practice match, slapped the back of Hinata's head and sort of dragged him away by the collar of his jersey jacket.

"What was that?" Kunimi asked incredulously.

Kindaichi shrugged after he snapped out of his shock. "Just Karasuno members and their antic, I guess."

"Not that." Kunimi squinted his eyes. "What did you want to do? It looked like you were about to call Kageyama."

Well, he did.

"What do you want to say to him?" Kunimi asked again.

Just then, Kindaichi realized what kind of awkward situation he had just slipped away from. Had Hinata didn't stop him, it would be very awkward with him and Kageyama.

* * *

"He is faster and stronger now."

"Who? Hinata?"

"Yes."

"Hm... Who do you think will win? Datekou or Karasuno?"

"Both sides are strong."

"But you are rooting for Karasuno, right?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Well, since there is your dearest kouhai."

"Shouyo is not my dearest kouhai."

The conversation stopped there as the two boys with maroon jersey put their attention back to the match before them. The "Shiratorizawa" written at the back of their jerseys attracted most of the spectators. Who didn't know Shiratorizawa? Who didn't know Ushijima Wakatoshi, the Super Ace?

"Oh, if it is not Ushiwaka-chan?"

Ushijima calmly exhaled as he heard the very familiar voice of his arch enemy, Oikawa.

"Stop calling me that." The Super Ace turned to face him. His eyes were as intense as ever.

Oikawa smiled charmingly, a very fake smile he usually used to rile people up. "Nah, I just want to say that we are going to defeat you in the final this time."

Ushijima frowned went deeper slightly, in which only his friend realized. "You need to win against your opponents first."

"Including Karasuno." Oikawa stated seriously. "Is that what you want to add?"

Oikawa guessed right. Ushijima had wanted to say that after his words. But he chose to against it because he didn't need to converse with Oikawa more than he needed.

"I am sorry to tell you this, but Karasuno is the team I really want to defeat after Shiratorizawa. So, instead of them you will face us."

Iwaizumi stared at the back of his friend's head. He didn't need to see to know that Oikawa's eyes were glazed with confidence and, dared he say, resentment.

Ushijima's scowl went deeper for a fraction before saying "It doesn't matter. Shiratorizawa will win, whoever our opponent will be."

* * *

Aone approached Hinata personally and offered his hand for a handshake. The friendly rivalry had just been laid out very passionately, who was Hinata to reject it? Hinata smiled appreciatively and took the offering hand, firmly shook it before releasing it as they left the court.

Aone walked back to his team and was greeted by his small captain.

"It's no one's fault, you realize that, right?"

Aone nodded once.

"Coach told me, that number ten, Hinata Shouyo, graduated from Shiratorizawa Junior High School." The Captain stated. "Next time, I believe you will defeat him."

Aone frowned. "We will defeat him." He corrected.

The Captain blinked, looked surprised for a moment before something clicked in his mind and he smiled thinly. "Nah, this is the third year's last match in high school. We will retired after this."

"Eh? Why?" Futakuchi suddenly popped out of nowhere.

"We need to focus on our study more." The Captain said. "But, that doesn't mean our passion in volleyball stop here! You guys will continue our spirit!"

"Senpai, we don't need your sappy speech." Futakuchi mockingly pouted.

"Damn you! Futakuchi!"

* * *

Hinata stared away to where Datekou packed themselves. His eyes were serious and apprehension underlined his stare. Kiyoko had never been this close to the first year, and just then, she felt how intense his presence could be.

"Water?" She offered softly in which Hinata jumped a little.

"Ah! I-I am sorry Kiyoko-senpai! I didn't realize you were here!" Hinata nervously exclaimed. "And thank you for the water." He said as he accepted the offered water bottle. Just like that the intense presence vanished.

"Don't mind." Kiyoko said with a faint smile.

Kiyoko watched as Hinata gulped the water greedily. He was too focus on Datekou that he forgot to drink after the match was over. Kiyoko then turned her attention toward the Datekou, wondering what caught Hinata's attention that put him on guard.

"Aone-san, he almost caught up to our freak quick." Hinata suddenly said. "We really cannot slack off even for a second or the next time we meet, they might shut off our offense."

Kiyoko watched how Hinata changed from his serious persona to his childish and bubbly one. She remembered, in the first day of the new school year, Kiyoko had heard that they would get two new members from powerhouse schools. Kitagawa Daiichi's Kageyama Tobio and Shiratorizawa's Hinata Shouyo. Off court and on court, they were really different. They were really interesting.

* * *

"Ohoho, this is interesting! I will take a picture of them."

"Ukai-kun, I don't think that's good. They had a small fight when we faced the Nekoma."

"Nah, it's just for personal memento. They are cute together. Hahahaha."

"You don't find them cute, you find them funny."

"Hehehe, anyway, I will take a picture of them. Steaaaady… yup! Got it."

"May I see it, Coach?"

"Here, here, Kiyoko. You can send it to your phone also."

Kiyoko giggled quietly as she turned on the Bluetooth of her phone. There, in Ukai's phone, was a picture of Tsukishima and Hinata slept side by side. Tsukishima's head was on Hinata's shoulder, and Hinata's head leaned to the blonde's head.

Why didn't Yamaguchi take the seat beside Tsukishima?

The truth was, Hinata and Kageyama had a silly argument about hairstyles, in which started from Hinata's hair. It dragged on to Nekoma's Kuroo's hairstyle and Oikawa's hairstyle. Kageyama naturally chose Oikawa's hairstyle as the worst, while Hinata, for obvious yet underlined hidden personal reason, chose Kuroo's hairstyle as the worst hairstyle known to human beings.

The seniors fed up with their arguments which disturbed their much needed rest. So, they split Hinata and Kageyama by switching Hinata's and Yamaguchi's seats. Kageyama and Yamaguchi didn't have any problem with that. Tsukishima though, protested half-heartedly but didn't voice it quite frontally. Because when Daichi was seriously pissed off, no one dared to oppose him.

* * *

What was wrong with him? He never felt like this in his own time, with the Hinata from his time. Why was it very different with this Hinata? He felt a foreign and unknown excitement which he suppressed superbly whenever they were close. And damn, he did look forward for their practices just because he could see Hinata. And the most terrifying of all, he caught himself stared at Hinata in changing room. Tsukishima hoped no one noticed that.

It was all started after the practice match with Nekoma. Hinata's explanation when they went back from the practice match in the bullet train didn't help him either. In fact, it fueled the strange emotions. How was it not? His explanation clearly stated that the 'cute' he had for Kenma was casual, friendly, and platonic in which different than the 'cute' he had for Tsukishima. That alone implied that the taller boy fancied him.

And how came he didn't find it appalling? The last time he checked he was straight! He looked at idol magazines sometimes.

Tsukishima sunk his face to his pillow and muffled an "I'm screwed."

As an addition to that, in which Tsukishima didn't realize, he didn't really bothered with the verse-travelling thing again.

* * *

Today was the day. Tsukishima remembered very well. The fated day they would face Aoba Jousai. He wondered, would the outcome still the same with his timeline. He still remembered vividly that last fall of ball. That time, he wasn't really affected by their defeat because that time, in the midst of his silently crying teammates, he chanted in his mind that it was not a big deal. Yet, now it was somehow different. He wanted to win. He wanted they win.

His day started with Yamaguchi's text messages. His bestfriend barraged him questions in the very early morning if it was okay for Tsukishima to go to school for morning practice alone since he needed to meet someone on his way. Tsukishima begrudgingly replied with a simple "Yes" since his sleep was disturbed.

Who Yamaguchi thought he was? A child who couldn't go to school by his own?

Tsukishima tried to continue his sweet slumber. TRIED, was the keyword. He turned left and right but the sleep never came. He raised from his bed with an annoyed sigh. He would give his bestfriend a piece of his mind the first time they meet.

And he definitely would! Because of that chain of events, Tsukishima now arrived to school much earlier than his usual time. He stood tensely in front of the still locked doors of the gym, with a surprised Hinata who was sitting on one of the stairs.

"Tsukishima!?" Hinata's exclamation was very loud in the quiet morning. "You are earlier!"

The blond averted his eyes. "How about you?"

Hinata shrugged. "I always come at this hour."

Tsukishima blinked as he looked back to Hinata. "Really?"

The taller boy grinned. "Have you arrived earlier than me before?"

Tsukishima blinked as he ventured to his memory. Hinata was right. Tsukishima had always found Hinata when he arrived at school.

The silence after that was awkward. Something hung in the air so heavily that Hinata fidgeted about and Tsukishima stared at anything but the sitting boy. Tsukishima could hear his own breath and became self-conscious about the awkward silence. He shoved his hands into his pockets just to calm himself.

Hinata picked that. He was also desperate to fill the awkward silence with anything to break the ice that made him didn't think through the words he was about to blurt.

"Take a seat." He said as he patted the space beside him. A second later his eyes widened. Apparently he was surprised by himself.

Tsukishima raised his eyebrows at that. As if asking _"Are you nuts?"_

Don't take him wrong, it wasn't like Tsukishima got a problem with sitting beside Hinata. It was because of the clear awkwardness around them in which Tsukishima was sure that Hinata also realized, and still had the gut to make the awkward silence got worse by sitting so close.

"Rather than you just standing there." Hinata supplied. He waited for the blond to walk closer but that didn't happen. Then something clicked in his mind.

"Oh!" Hinata jumped. How stupid could he be? Tsukishima must be uncomfortable to sit so close to him. Yesterday was different since their captain was so close to strangle them. "Sorry! You can sit there."

Tsukishima's shoulders visibly shagged. He stopped the urge to slap his own forehead. Now, Hinata misinterpreted it. And damn with that height, Hinata was really skittish! For unknown reason, Tsukishima didn't like that.

Screw awkward air.

"You are acting silly you know." Tsukishima said as he walked and sat on the stair before patting the space where Hinata had sit before. "Sit."

The taller boy looked aghast at that which petrified him on the spot. Tsukishima shook his head before standing up and walked to Hinata and dragged him to sit together with him.

It seemed like he didn't think it thoroughly also, because the moment they sat side by side, both could feel the heat radiated off from each other. Both wanted to scoot away, to get away from the source of their beating hearts, but couldn't bring themselves to do that.

They sat stiffly and prayed for someone, anyone, to quickly save them from this more than awkward situation.

About fifteen minutes into the heavy moment, Tanaka finally appeared while playing with the gym doors key. He stopped abruptly when he saw his two juniors sat like statues in front of the gym door. But, that wasn't his focus.

Tanaka looked back and forth between Hinata and Tsukishima.

"Pfffft!" His cheeks puffed up. "PUAHAHAHAHA!" And he had the gut to chortled.

The strangeness of their senpai was a welcomed relief for both of them. At least they had something to distract themselves from each other.

"Tanaka-senpai, what's so funny?" Hinata asked as he stood up.

Tanaka kept laughing and raised his hand to sign Hinata that he needed a moment before regaining his ability to speak. He needed about one minute to get his laughter in control.

"Yo-you two!" Tanaka started with tears of amusement in his eyes. "Your face are totally red! Like a boiled shrimp! HAHAHAHA!" And he continued laughing.

Tsukishima's face was decorated with vein lines as Hinata approached their senpai with an even redder face. That Tanaka-san! He didn't need to voice that out, did he!?

Hinata locked Tanaka in a playful headlock, forgetting all respect for the senior just at this moment. His face was indeed as red as a boiled shrimp, but Tsukishima didn't have the courage to point that out since he didn't know the color of his own face. Tsukishima then snatched the keys Tanaka held while the senior was still laughing his brain out in Hinata's headlock.

Tanaka-san stupid. Tsukishima minded as he unlocked the gym doors.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Review? *_*


	6. Testing The Water

Thank you so much for the support you, my dear Reader, give to this story! Your reviews are the one keep me writing! Thank you guys, you all rock! I'm sorry for didn't reply your reviews one by one, it was late night when I uploaded it and I was getting sleepy. Yet, I will reply your reviews as soon as possible -_-

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters and do not make any money by this fic.

**TESTING THE WATER**

The fated game finally started with a loud whistle from the referee. Oikawa's presence was strong and intimidating on the court. Just like before, Tsukishima felt the pressure. Maybe even more with the knowledge he held about the outcome of this match.

Could he change it? Was it okay to change something like that? If it was changed, what would it lead them to?

Tsukishima was in the back row when he remembered that very motion he saw from Oikawa before he did a setter dump in the first minutes of their game in his timeline.

"Kageyama!" In a split second, driven by impulse only, he called the genius setter in which surprised him and thus delayed him for his block. Kageyama was about to formulate a good scold when he realized what was happening, what Oikawa was about to do.

Kageyama only had the time to save the ball without setting its course and the team went into disarray for their counter attack. In the end, Tanaka had to toss the ball to Hinata, fortunately he could score with it.

Irritated vein lines decorated Oikawa's smiling face. "Damn you, Glasses-kun."

A hope grew in Tsukishima's heart. Maybe this time they could win. He could watch out for the moves he remembered from his own match and warn his teammates to prevent their opponents to score. Yeah, maybe...

* * *

"Nice spike, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa praised.

Tsukishima panted as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. His eyes wide and bewilderment was clear on his face. This was totally different than the match he had in his original universe. He looked back to their opponents where the Seijou boys were highfive-ing each other.

How ignorant he was. Of course it would be different. The practice match they had was also different, though with same result. This timeline, they have a tall Hinata, with the same reflex and same speed, but higher reach and more powerful spike. It was certain that Seijou's course of action would be different to face their team with this Hinata.

Damn. There was no guarantee for their victory in the first place. Oikawa did the setter dump purely to pick on Kageyama, which was the only thing this match and the match Tsukishima had before shared.

The first set went to Aoba Jousai.

* * *

Oikawa smiled charmingly as he took the ball. The first set was already in their hand, if they finished Karasuno with this set also, they could save their stamina for the next match.

He already got two points off of Karasuno just by his serves. He always loved the feeling of gathering points with his serve only. That feeling of complete control was euphoric.

He side-eyed the score board.

**Karasuno 24 - 23 Seijou**

He needed to score one to be in the safe side, and another to win this match. He admitted that Karasuno was troublesome. Their skills were not half-hearted either. If there was a chance he could rack points, he would use it. Oikawa was too focused to prepare for his killing jump serve that he didn't notice how Kageyama was looking at Hinata nervously.

"No matter what happens, toss to me."

"I still have to consider their block."

"Toss to me." Hinata repeated.

Kageyama didn't say anything after that. The same intimidating air around Hinata was there again. His eyes wide, eyes never left the space beyond the net, his stance relax but highly alert. It happened again. He had seen this side of Hinata in their practice match with Aoba Jousai but it didn't cease to amaze him to witness it again. In fact, the impact was much more chilling in an official match.

Ukai squinted his eyes at Hinata. He could see the change in the boy, like something menacing deep down his consciousness just emerged. Or, could it be... he was in the zone?

Well, whatever it was, maybe they could gain something with that.

* * *

Nishinoya got the Best Libero Award not for nothing. He kept Oikawa's killing serve up in the air. Tsukishima went to receive the falling ball and smoothly directed it to Kageyama. The setter went into tossing stance.

Iwaizumi, Kindaichi, and another third year of Seijou were preparing to block for Hinata.

Shit! What should he do!

Kageyama's internal conflict didn't last long when he saw Hinata was already running and jumping.

Screw it!

Kageyama gave Hinata the 'King's Toss' in which the former spiked it effortlessly and very, very powerfully.

The boom echoed through the stadium. It silenced the noisy audience, and the match beside their court was paused due to their attention was pulled by the loud impact.

Oikawa stared with disbelief written all over his face. That intensity, that power, that concentration, was on par with Ushiwaka! Iwaizumi seemed to think the same, it was visible with the way he looked up to Oikawa to confirm his suspicion. While Kindaichi, he had never seen Hinata did that before in their matches in junior high school. Their coach stood up and shocked out of his mind. He never expected to see another spiker like that. The whistle finally blown and the set was won by Karasuno.

Hinata went closer to the net and he stared straight to Oikawa. His voice was quite but enough for Oikawa to hear.

"My goal is not you, don't get in my way."

Wait...

Did that brat just...

OOH! HE WAS GOING TO BEAT THAT GIANT-KUN'S ASS SO HARD HE WOULD GO HOME BAWLING!

* * *

Ukai stood up as the boys approached him. He had a thing or two to say to the team like usual in between sets. Led by Daichi, the boys circled him, except Hinata.

Nishinoya realized that and he looked at the bench where Hinata just sat there with his eyes to the court.

"Hey," Nishinoya called him with a loud whisper. "Shou-"

"Let him be." Ukai stopped the libero. Nishinoya just stared back at the coach with question in his wide eyes. "Don't distract him." Ukai stated.

It seemed like Hinata was indeed in the zone, or at least deeply concentrated. Yeah, even though he acted like air head sometimes, he was graduated from Shiratorizawa and was a regular before. It wouldn't surprise Ukai to know that Hinata had accustomed with that level of concentration and had the awareness to maintain his focus. This time he would let that middle blocker skipped his speech.

* * *

Tsukishima took one of the water bottles for himself. He sneaked a peek at the taller boy who was still sitting at the bench while lazily wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

His gaze was piercing, it made the boy looked serious, and cool. Tsukishima blushed as he imagined what it would feel like if that gaze directed to him instead. He blushed even more as he realized what he had just thought. Tsukishima rubbed his face harshly in frustration with the little towel he had around his neck.

While Hinata, he was concentrating to keep his focus for the decisive set, when he saw something moved so much at the edge of his vision. He moved his eyes at the source of the movement.

Tsukishima was rubbing his face furiously with a white towel.

He looked like a kitten rubbing his face.

Cute.

And just like that his focus was thrown out of the window.

Hinata was officially out of the zone.

When Tsukishima finished rubbing his face and put his glasses back on, their eyes met. Both blushed so much that Kageyama noticed that Hinata was not in the zone anymore.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, TSUKISHIMA!?" Kageyama shouted so loud that Kindaichi gave a start at the other side of the court.

* * *

"So, are you disappointed?"

Ushijima frowned by his friend's question. He shook his head. "No, it doesn't matter."

"But you are rooting for Karasuno."

"I am not rooting for Karasuno." Ushijima asserted. "I expected their defeat in the first place."

"Eh?"

"Their main setter had been bothered by something all through the match."

"How do you know?"

Ushijima leaned back to the back rest of his seating. "Coach always brought me to junior high school matches to find setters to fit me to scout. Kageyama Tobio, he caught my eyes but his bad habit is his downfall." Ushijima said. "I know his normal play. In today's game, he had been a little bit unstable. Yet, he got his thought in order on the third set."

"I see..." His friend trailed. "It seems we are going to face Aoba Jousai in the final."

"It doesn't matter." Ushijima's eyes went even more intense. "We will past through them."

* * *

They lost from Aoba Jousai. Tsukishima felt helpless and useless. He knew the outcome, yet he didn't know how to stop their inevitable defeat. No one shed tears, but Tsukishima knew everyone was crying in their hearts.

It was much more devastating than before. The previous loss he felt was merely a loss. But today, it was different. Maybe because of the hope he had fed himself since Yamaguchi confronted him about his pathetic principles. And... The way he felt closer with his teammates than before, he now shared the same despair. He wanted to be alone for a moment.

"Coach, can I go to the toilet?" Tsukishima asked.

Ukai looked at him with worry in his eyes. He hesitated, but firmly nodded.

Tsukishima bowed a little before going out of their locker room.

Hinata's eyes followed Tsukishima's retreating back until he closed the door of their locker room. Sugawara was beside him and carefully watched him under his eyelashes. The senior knew there was something growing between his two juniors, but it wasn't his place to push them so he only watched them dancing hopelessly around each other. Hinata was sure but he didn't have the courage to act on his feeling. Tsukishima was still confused, yet lately he seemed to come in terms with himself, but still hesitant.

Sugawara looked around, usually Kageyama know how to push Hinata bluntly without making him shy or felt pushed.

Wait... Where is Kageyama?

* * *

The water felt good at the back of his head, it fought off the heat from the glaring sun in the sky. Kageyama's hand was gripping the outdoor faucet so hard that his knuckles went white. Karasuno's defeat from Seijou, somehow it felt much more personal.

He wanted to win, with his team. He wanted to surpass Oikawa. He wanted to show them that he could win in a team play. He wanted to show them that he had gotten over his trauma, the trauma they gave him, the trauma he caused by himself.

And above all, he wanted to move on.

Why? Why couldn't he get his head straight whenever Kindaichi was close to the net?

Kindaichi had broken up with him, he stated it clearly. And it left him broken and empty. It was no use to still thinking about him, to still remember those happy and fun days before they grew distant in their third year of junior high school. But the past stayed in the past. There was no way their relationship could be rebuild. Too much bitterness, Kageyama was left too heartbroken to try any relationship with Kindaichi, not even friendship.

"You are going to pass out if you keep doing that."

A low and deep voice suddenly said and Kageyama jerkily stood upright in which bring the water in his head with him, spraying the person with water splash.

The person reflexively closed his eyes as the water splashed on him. His maroon jersey was wet instantly.

"You are... Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa?" Kageyama half stated, half asked. He didn't take notice at the water dripping from his face and hair to his own shirt.

"Correct." Ushijima said with a little annoyance as he unzipped his wet jacket. "I want you to tell Shouyou something."

"Shouyou?"

"Hinata Shouyou." He clarified as he took off his jacket before wiping his wet face with it. "I will wait until he is ready." He said before shoving his jacket to Kageyama's chest. Just then Kageyama realized how wet his shirt had become.

"And when the time comes, it would be an all out battle." Ushijima said before walking away, leaving Kageyama stood alone in the open, wondering what the hell just happened, and why did he left his jacket with Kageyama.

And why didn't he tell Hinata by himself? So much drama!

Said the person who had been drowning in his own mellow thought just a moment before.

* * *

Tsukishima splashed his face with water just because he didn't know how to get himself feeling neutral. He gripped the edge of the sink to anchor himself. He didn't dare to look up to the mirror in front of him, too afraid to find his pathetic face staring back at him. His glasses were folded next to the sink.

"Tsukishima, are you alright?" Hinata said as he entered the restroom.

For once since a long time, he didn't feel funny around Hinata. For that, he was grateful.

"I am fine." Tsukishima said as he took his glasses and put it on. He looked up to Hinata's weary face. Of course, he was affected by their defeat. More than the others since his blocked final spike that finished the match.

"Are you?" Tsukishima asked back.

Hinata was surprised hearing Tsukishima asked other people's well being. Moreover, the blond did look genuinely curious, shown by how much he tried to look nonchalant.

"Yeah." He nodded as he crossed his arms. An act to shield how their defeat really affected him. He had tasted defeats before, but never in preliminaries.

Tsukishima nodded also. The silence followed it wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be. In fact, he welcomed it. Something in Hinata's presence comfort him. He looked up to Hinata to see how the taller boy looked at the mirror with vacant stare. Tsukishima then turned to the mirror and didn't see anything strange there.

"What are you thinking?" Tsukishima asked, suddenly worried again.

Hinata smiled nervously as he chuckled. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing. I am not stupid." Tsukishima countered. "Do you think it's your fault that we lost?"

Hinata's eyes opened wide and his arms unfolded. That was all Tsukishima needed to know that he hit the jackpot.

"It's not your fault. Everyone knows that." Tsukishima said as he took a paper towel and dried his hands with it.

"But-"

"No buts. We are team. We lost, it's our defeat, not because of someone in the team." Tsukishima didn't want to hear any of Hinata's self-blaming. He hated it. "You cannot shoulder all the blame. There is no blame to put in the first place." Tsukishima finished that with a soft punch to Hinata's upper arm.

Tsukishima waited for Hinata's argument but it didn't come. Instead, the taller boy gave him a quivering smile and mumbled a small thank.

Thirty seconds into the comfortable silence, their bad habit came again. They blushed.

Hinata really, really liked Tsukishima. He seriously loved to be close to him and damn it was getting harder and harder to stop himself from reaching out to him. It was much better if Tsukishima boldly told him to stay away or stop. But the blond, he almost gave him the green light. It was driving him mad! He stared at Tsukishima's red face. See? He was blushing again and didn't do anything to escape the room, away from him.

Hinata had lived in a dormitory full of boys, with his confusing sexuality. He knew when and how to test the water.

Tsukishima's eyes widened when Hinata stepped closer to him. He looked up when Hinata took another step. His heart beat faster when the taller boy took the final step, invading his personal space.

Hinata's eyes never strayed from the eyes beneath those glasses. He waited for about ten seconds to let Tsukishima backed away. In which, the shorter boy didn't do.

Sometimes boys would mistaken it as a challenge so they stood their ground. So, to make sure, Hinata did the second step. He flicked his eyes to Tsukishima's lips for a good two seconds before staring at Tsukishima's eyes again. That conveyed the message.

Tsukishima's eyebrows furrowed at that. He understood it clearly what Hinata asked, and what this all meant. But, he couldn't just decide it like this, in a split moment. He couldn't.

Hinata was counting in his head. He saw how Tsukishima's eyebrows furrowing and his eyes were not focus, the blond was deep in his mind. He was still confused. Hinata understood that and he wouldn't want to push the person he liked and make him frustrated. So, Hinata backed away.

The surprise and, dare Hinata said, disappointment, in Tsukishima's eyes made his chest swelled in happiness.

"Let's go, I think everyone is worried about us by now." Hinata said.

When he was sure that Tsukishima could not see his face. He smiled wide, stupidly.

* * *

Kageyama walked through the hall of the stadium as he inspected the Shiratorizawa jersey that Ushijima had tossed to him unceremoniously. What was he going to do with that thing? His shirt was wet, yes. But he wouldn't wear another jersey other than Karasuno. It would insult the team and his pride wouldn't allow it. So, he only fold it in half and covered his folded arms in front of his chest, it served to cover his wet shirt also. He would give it to Hinata later, maybe he knew the way to give it back to Ushijima.

"Ooh, Tobio-chan." Oikawa called from behind him. "Where are you going? Oh, and just so you know you did great in our match."

"Oi." Iwaizumi voice scolded.

Don't call him Oikawa if he stopped there. "What? I am really praising him. You could win, if only the opponent was not us."

Kageyama bit his bottom lip. The defeat was very fresh, and Oikawa had the heart to taunt him. The quiver spread all over his body was barely concealed. Kageyama gulped the lump in his throat.

"We will win." Kageyama said.

"Eh? What was that?"

Kageyama spun around. "We will win next time!" He exclaimed. His fists were at both sides of his body.

Kageyama had expected for Oikawa to smiled and retaliated. But the senior setter looked shocked out of his mind. Kageyama noticed how Oikawa was focusing on one of his hands. He followed his stare only to find the Shiratorizawa jacket.

"You!" Oikawa yelled. This was the first time he heard him speak with his voice raised. "Where did you get that!" Oikawa asked harshly as he advanced toward him.

Iwaizumi swiftly held his friend back. The feral look on Oikawa's face made Kageyama's blood ran cold. He remembered one time in junior high school, Oikawa almost punched him, just like this.

"Tobio! Answer me!"

"Oi, Oikawa!" Iwaizumi tried to snap his friend out of his fury.

"Tch!" Oikawa was blinded with his anger. He was able to wrestled his way out of his friend's hold and instantly pounced on Kageyama.

"W-wait! Oikawa-san, please get hold of yourself!" Kindaichi suddenly came between Kageyama and Oikawa. He stopped Oikawa's clawing hands with one of his hands and moved Kageyama to stand behind him with his other hand.

"Get out of my way! Tobio, answer me!"

"OIKAWA!" Iwaizumi shouted right beside him and that seemed effective to bring him back. "Do you want us to be disqualified because you fight with another team!?"

Oikawa didn't say anything. His eyes were burning with so much anger that left Kageyama wondered. His face was red with the same anger and his breath was irregular. Oikawa spun suddenly and walked away quickly. Iwaizumi sighed in relief before looking at Kageyama.

"Sorry about that." Iwaizumi apologized before sprinting to catch up to his friend, leaving Kindaichi and Kageyama alone.

* * *

"What was that?" Kageyama took a step back. His arms suddenly felt languish.

"Are you okay?" Kindaichi asked.

Kageyama blinked as if to shake off his shock. "Yeah, but really, why did Oikawa-san react like that?"

Kindaichi's shoulders shagged and his eyebrows were in frown. "You didn't know, did you?"

Kageyama blushed in embarrassment. "W-what is it?"

Kindaichi sighed before crossing his arms in front of his chest. "There was a rumor that Oikawa-san's obsession to defeat Ushiwaka is not purely sportive rivalry."

Kageyama was taken aback by that. It was an easy game to guess what that statement led to. He really didn't notice it. He did notice the drastic change of behavior of Oikawa whenever Shiratorizawa being brought up. Oikawa showed blatant display of dislike without it being layered by his annoying goof like he always did to rile people. Ushijima was indeed treated special, in one way or another.

"Oh." Kageyama finally said.

"Just like you and Hinata were." Kindaichi suddenly said. "And, now, you guys are in the same team. Congratulation."

Kageyama looked up with clear confusion on his face. Kindaichi was staring off to the distance, his frown was still there.

"What are you talking about?"

Kindaichi shrugged. He looked displeased by something. Kageyama frowned as he wondered what was Kindaichi implying. Then something clicked.

"Wait! You mean, me and Hinata?" Kageyama yelled in slight repugnance. "No! He is with that bastardly Tsukishima!"

"Who are you calling bastardly, Ou-sama?"

Kageyama startled and he turned around to face both Tsukishima and Hinata. Clearly, the blond heard the last sentence he said, as seen by vein lines on the boy's forehead.

"Turnip Head." Hinata greeted. He really didn't like Kindaichi since he knew what he did to Kageyama in that one match, plus the thing he heard in the restroom after their practice match.

"It's Kindaichi." The Seijou glared. The dislike was mutual, apparently.

"Turnip Head is Turnip Head." Hinata said childishly.

"It's Kindaichi!" Kindaichi stepped forward. Kageyama swiftly put his hand on Kindaichi's shoulder.

"Turnip Head! Turnip Head! Turnip Head!" Hinata yelled louder.

"That's it!" Kindaichi moved to get to Hinata while Kageyama desperately held him back.

"Tsukishima, tell Hinata to stop!"

"Eh? Why should I?" Tsukishima said with a sadistic gleam reflected through his glasses.

"Damn you, why were you here anyway?" Kageyama asked, still keeping Kindaichi away from Hinata.

"We were from the toilet and was about to get back to the team." Tsukishima answered since Hinata was still busy calling Kindaichi 'Turnip Head'.

Kageyama stilled in all of sudden, which made Kindaichi wondered and stopped his advance toward Hinata in favor to look to him. Kindaichi's eyebrows shot up as he saw the scary looking smile the shorter boy sported.

"You, and Hinata, in the toilet together?" Kageyama teased. "Aaaah." The smile transformed into a knowing smirk.

Tsukishima's face went from pale to red in a matter of mili-second.

The commotion were instantly changed from Hinata versus Kindaichi into Tsukishima versus Kageyama.

**End of Chapter 6**

* * *

Thank you for reading! Review? *puppyeyes*


	7. For Tokyo!

Disclaimer: I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you sooooo soooo soooo much for your reviews, my dear readers! Here is the new chapter and I hope you like it.

**FOR TOKYO!**

Hinata sighed in exhaustion as he slumped his body to the love seat of his royal chamber. Yes, Hinata was the mighty king of this Karasuno Kingdom. The court was demanding something unjustified to his people just to collect gold and more gold. The King massaged the bridge of his nose. A good hot bath might help him unwind.

He opened the bath chamber, where the grand shallow pool he called bathtub let off fragnant steam. The days were getting colder since the peak of the winter was approaching, so the servants had made sure that the tub was always heated and ready for the King and his royal consort.

And just right, the royal consort, Queen Kei was already bathing. Hearing the luxurios door opened and closed, Queen Kei turned and smiled softly to his King.

"My King, would you like to join me?" Queen Kei asked seductively. Like being hit by a spell, King Hinata's legs moved by themselves. Who was King Hinata to refuse such alluring request?

And... Sexy time ensued.

* * *

Hinata's eyes opened wide. His breath was irregular and there was that familiar tingle and wetness in his nether region. Hinata closed his eyes and brought his hands to cover his face. Shit, he started to have wet dreams involving Tsukishima. Damn.

Hinata let out a shuddered breath as the dream flashed before his eyes. He could still feel the sensation.

Hinata shook his head and jumped out of the futon to his bathroom.

* * *

"Tokyo! We are going to Tokyo!" Tanaka yelled in excitement.

"Yeah!" Hinata joined in.

The excitement was vibrant in the air and Takeda smiled seeing the antics of his students. But, he was not finished yet. His announcement didn't cover about the plan for joining Nekoma's practice camp only, another announcement was to follow it. He waited until all of them managed to sit down back and comparatively calm before speaking up.

"But before that, you still remember you have a mock exam, right?"

All the excitement on their face was drained instantly.

* * *

The mock exam would take place next week and now was the right time to work their asses off to study hard. Yachi agreed to help them also when Tsukishima became too scary to be close to.

The club room was empty when Hinata entered. He muttered a quiet "Yosh." as he excused himself to a spot under the window before opening his bag. He took his math textbook and soon after he began writing.

He really wanted to go to Tokyo and meet the Nekoma guys again. There was a debt the Karasuno hadn't been able to pay back then, and now was a good opportunity for a payback.

"You should square this first."

Suddenly, a pale lithe finger pointed to his scratch paper. Hinata looked to the side where Tuskishima squatted beside him.

"Da-damn, Tsukishima! At least announce yourself first!" Hinata said as he put his hand on his chest dramatically.

"Seeing you engrossed in your study put me in awe. I couldn't bring myself to distract you." Tsukishima smirked. And here he was being a distraction.

"Fuck you." Hinata rudely cursed with a pout before looking back to his book with a slight blush.

Wow, Tsukishima didn't know Hinata could swear like that. The boy was living in a boys dormitory, so that was a given. Tsukishima wondered, was the short Hinata could curse like that too?

And strangely, Tsukishima found this deliquent-ish side of this Hinata appealing.

"By the way," Tsukishima started. "how did you survive Shiratorizawa?"

Hinata shrugged. "I just studied reaaaaaly hard the week before the exams. As long as I passed the passing grade, I am safe because our couch thought my potential was worth to keep around." He ended with a grin.

"You are stupid."

"Ah, by the way, Tsukishima, can I study at your place this weekend?" Hinata suddenly asked.

"I am okay with you, but how about Kageyama? I can't imagine me and him in my house." Tsukishima said bluntly as he pushed his bag into his locker. Truth to be told, lately Tsukishima and Kageyama were not getting along more than usual. Hinata always found them argued with each other, both would blush and their voices raised. He always separated them before things could get physical, or worse, the Captain had enough.

"Yachi will help him."

Tsukishima paused his rumaging for his phone as he looked back to the taller boy. "Why don't you join him?"

Hinata blinked once. It seemed the boy hadn't even considered of joining Kageyama in the first place. Hinata blushed when the realization dawned on him.

"A-ah! Sorry for asking, I totally forgot that I can just join Kage-"

"We'll start at ten in the morning."

Hinata blinked as he looked up to Tsukishima who was seemingly busy with the zipper of his bag.

"Yes!"

* * *

Okay, so their plan to study in Tsukishima's house had finally brought to realization on Saturday. Everything was good, Hinata did well with the problems Tsukishima assigned to him. Hinata practically survived Shiratorizawa, he could have been alright even by his own.

Once more, everything had been running well, until Hinata caught a glimpse of a big chest with a dinosaur tail peeked out of it. Hinata made a move to open the chest and of course on impuls Tsukishima wanted to stop him. Both struggled with the chest for a moment. That was it until they lost their balanced and fell onto the carpeted floor.

Tsukishima moaned at the impact while Hinata groaned on top of him since he bumped his head to the floor right beside Tsukishima's head.

That wasn't the worst part.

Right at that moment, in that precise position where Hinata was on top of Tsukishima with his head close to Tsukishima's neck, and Tsukishima was still moaning between his complains about Hinata's stupidity, someone opened the room with a plate of cookies.

"Hello! Kei, Mom said you have a friend coming ove..." Akiteru trailed.

* * *

Tsukishima turned sharply toward the door. "Nii-san!"

Hinata gaped as he did a head count mentally. There was Tsukishima's older brother by the door, and here he was on top of Tsukishima, in a very promising position.

Hinata should have jumped off of Tsukishima and explained himself. He really should since Tsukishima's brother's face was gradually getting scary by the seconds.

Hinata opened his mouth, intended to apologize first. But a "Hello, Nii-san." Was all he could produce.

Akiteru smiled. It was a sweet smile actually, but Hinata could only see his doom approaching.

* * *

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I SWEAR!" Hinata rushed down the stairs as Akiteru was hot after his tail.

"ACCIDENT MY ASS! I WON'T LET YOU NEAR MY BROTHER AGAIN!" His rushed foot steps alone made Hinata thinking of the Hulk.

"Nii-san! It was really an accident!" Tsukishima desperately held off his brother but the rage in Akiteru's body right now was nothing he could stop.

"Eh? What is it?" Tsukishima's mother peaked out her head to see what was happening in the hall way, only to see Hinata ran quickly before gathering his shoes.

"I-I am sorry! It was really an accident!" Hinata hollered. "And thank you, Tsukishima-san!" Hinata said as he bowed deeply to the woman and excused himself.

When the Tsukishima brothers finally reached he first floor, Hinata was no where to be seen. Akiteru looked between satisfied and annoyed since he couldn't really 'avenge' his brother.

"Damn it." Kei mumbled before walked away to his room.

"Oi, Kei, who was that boy again?" Akiteru asked. "Kei!" He called when the younger Tsukishima didn't reply.

"Kei?" Akiteru frowned when he heard a door slammed shut.

* * *

Hinata sighed. His head was downcasted and his shoes still in his hold. Damn it, damn that dinosaur thing. Hinata approached a bench before proceeding to wear his shoes which he almost abandoned when he fled the Tsukishima's residence.

"Hinata?"

Hinata looked up to see Yamaguchi with his wide eyes and clear confusion on his face. "I thought you were studying with Tsukki."

"We were." Hinata mumbled as he looked down again to make sure the ties of his sneakers were tied properly.

Yamaguchi's eyebrows shot up before he checked the time with his watch. Tsukki said they would start at ten in the morning so it had been only 40 minutes or less.

"Are you done?"

Hinata sighed. Irritation began prickling his mind so he opted to leave the shorter boy. He stood up and smiled widely to Yamaguchi, a fake smile, though.

"Not really. I think I'll just continue with Kageyama and Yachi. See you around, Yamaguchi." He said before turned and walked away, seemingly aimlessly.

"Hmm..." Yamaguchi trailed. He watched how Hinata's shoulders shagged down and the way he shoved his hands in his short's pockets made Yamaguchi worried, so, he called Tsukki. Just in case.

* * *

_"Where is Yachi-san's house?"_

"Ha? You could at least greet me properly!" Kageyama groused.

_"Tch, Kageyama, just tell me."_

"I don't hear your please."

_"Kageyama!"_

"Ah, I have study to do, so, I'm going to hang up-"

_"P-please!"_

"...Wait, what?"

_"Yachi's adress!"_

"Oh, yeah..." Kageyama trailed as he heard rustles of paper from the other side of the phone.

* * *

Hinata's mood didn't get better as time passed by. That could be his chance to get closer to Tsukishima! To drop more hints to the blond! And maybe to observe the boy's true feeling toward him. But it was all shattered because his curiosity with those dinosaur figures Tsukishima hid in that goddamned chest. Stupid dinosaurs!

Anyway, he understood very well the dire need to study to face the upcoming mock exam. Tokyo was his current goal, and he had to defeat this not-so-cool spectacle to achieve that. Hinata pouted as he kicked a small rock away from the road.

Hinata looked up. He could see the apartment building where Yachi lived. Just one more turn and he could join Kageyama and Yachi in their study marathon.

"Hinata!"

Hinata turned sharply where Tsukishima's harsh voice called him. His eyes lit up slightly. Tsukishima looked as good as usual but his rather disordered appearance made his stomach churned. He observed Tsukishima's apparel, it looked like he just took a jacket out of nowhere and took off for him. Damn, now his mind played tricks.

"Tsukishima, what are you doing?" Hinata's voice went up an octave noticing the sweat on Tsukishima's forehead. "Were you running all the way here?"

"No, of course not." Tsukishima answered calmy. It was clear that the shorter boy was doing his best to calm his breath and hide his exertion. His face was as red as his neck, though.

"Wait." Hinata said before fishing blindly into his sling bag. He took out a water bottle and offered it to Tsukishima.

Tsukishima didn't inspect the bottle any further. He just accepted it and drank from it greedily after a quick "thanks".

Hinata needed to look away for a moment. He definitely didn't need to see how blond boy, red faced, drinking with a blissful expression on his face.

When Tsukishima finished, it was only a gulp left in that bottle. Tsukishima looked up to Hinata who was staring at the water with wide eyes.

"Sorry."

"No, that's not a problem. I was just amazed of how much you can drink in one go!" Hinata joked as he took the bottle from Tsukishima's hand. "You should have finished it, you know. It's pointless to save this little."

"Saving water is important." Tsukishima encountered mindlessly.

Hinata shrugged nonchalantly before opening the cap of the bottle. Tsukishima's eyes widened but before he could say anything, Hinata dawned the rest of the water, right from the same bottle Tsukishima drank from not a minute ago.

Congratulations for your first indirect kiss together.

* * *

"What are you doing here? And why are you looking like boiled shrimps?" Was Kageyama's polite greeting when Yachi invited them in into her apartment.

* * *

"Hinata is actually good when he is really motivated." Yachi commented as she escorted all of the boys out of the apartment building.

"That's the problem. 'When he is motivated.'" Tsukishima smiled mockingly to the taller boy.

"I can motivate my self!" Hinata confidently said.

"By the way, Yachi." Kageyama started, disregarding the tallest boy completely. He stared far away to the end of the road. "Isn't Shiratorizawa located around here?"

Tsukishima blinked when he sensed the sudden tension in Hinata's shoulders.

"Yes. I frequently see them running around here." Yachi put a thoughtful face with her hand below her chin.

"Oh, I should have brought his jacket." Kageyama said to himself.

"Whose jacket?" Hinata asked in bewilderment.

"Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"EEEEEH!" Hinata screamed on top of his lungs. Tsukishima slapped the back of Hinata's head after his ears stopped ringing.

"Se-Senpai's jacket!? Where did you meet him!? Why is his jacket with you!?" Hinata bombarded the black haired boy with questions.

"Because one thing and another which is not your business!" Kageyama barked.

Hinata blinked once, then twice. Then something clicked in his mind, Kageyama felt uneasy when suddenly a big grin appeared on Hinata's face and he looked so sure with himself.

"I know!" Hinata beamed.

"No, I doubt that." Kageyama shook his head.

"Ah, by the way, Senpai might be acting ignorant but he is a caring and kind person. He is sometimes mean with his words but truly he doesn't intend to offend." Hinata nodded to himself.

"Hold on! You got it wrong!"

"He is a good person. I am happy for you, Kageyama!" Hinata said proudly. "I'm updating it to Facebook!" Hinata, still with his grin, tried to reach his phone in his sling bag.

"No! You got it wrong! HINATA!" Kageyama yelled in panic as the taller boy took out his phone and held it high out of Kageyama's reach.

"Hinata! Do not make any stupid status! What if Kindai-" Kageyama closed his mouth as soon as that name was spoken by his own mouth. "Tch, Hinata, stop that!" Kageyama demanded albeit calmer than before.

"'Kindai' what? You are still thinking about Turnip Head?"

Kageyama didn't answer but his red face did. He turned around and was about to huff away when suddenly he was face to face with none other than the subject of their recent conversation.

"Senpai!" Hinata reacted first and jumped in greeting. Kageyama blankly stared at the taller boy before him,

"Shouyo." Ushijima nodded calmly. He then turned to Kageyama. "I have a few more spare jackets, so it's alright."

Kageyama stood rigid instantly at being addressed very suddenly. Meanwhile, Yachi looked light headed being surrounded by four tall high-schoolers. Tsukishima made a note to keep an eye on the girl.

"By the way, Senpai, you are so mean! You had the time meeting him and not me?" Hinata pouted. Kageyama mumbled about it was a coincidence.

"I don't like your over reaction." Ushijima answered bluntly as he stretched his arms. "Why didn't you accept our offer? It came with financial aid like before." Ushijima asked out of nowhere.

Yachi blinked and turned her head to Hinata in surprise. Tsukishima and Kageyama had more snappy reaction to that as they turned to the tallest boy.

"What!?" Kageyama stared at Hinata accusingly. "If you accepted it we could face to face in official matches again!"

"That's not it." Tsukishima reprimanded before looking back to Hinata. "That was a big opportunity, why didn't you take it?" Tsukishima folded his arms before his chest with a prominent frown on his usual neutral face.

Wait, why did he care?

Hinata nervously scratched the back of his head. "Hehehe, one thing and another." Was his simple explanation.

"Oh! Isn't it Hinata Shouyo?"

Suddenly foot steps came from behind Ushijima. A few boys with the same maroon jersey appeared, all sweat and grin. Some of them had curious faces, and a few more looked a little bit too smug for Tsukishima. He disliked them instantly.

"Oh, yeah, it's Hinata." Another one joined.

Tsukishima frowned even more at how Hinata seemed to put his guard up with those boys. His shoulders straight and rigid, and his smile was restrained.

"Ushijima-san, I thought you were in the gym already." The boy before asked. He looked like he was trying his hardest to look casual.

Ushijima regarded him with a sideway stare. "I and Shouyo had a conversation before you arrive."

"I see." The boy then turned to Hinata. He smiled kindly but there was something Tsukishima didn't like reflected through his eyes. "Long time no see, Hinata."

"Yeah, long time no see." Hinata nodded his greeting.

It felt totally awkward, all of them. Tsukishima met Kageyama's eyes and both instantly agreed that there was something between Hinata and his previous teammates, something unpleasant. It felt like a cold war.

"Ah, by the way, I am in a rush since my friends here need to be home right now." Hinata smoothly lied as he took both Kageyama's and Tsukishima's upper arms.

"Yachi, thanks for your help." Hinata bowed before turning back to the Shiratorizawa students. "And see you!"

* * *

"Oi, isn't there somethimg you need to tell us?" Kageyama tried. Hinata didn't budge as he kept walking ahead of him and Tsukishima.

"Oi, Hina-"

"He will speak when he is ready." Kicking Kageyama in the ass had never been this tempting to Tsukishima. That so-called genius could be really insensitive at times.

"Yeah." Hinata said softly but managed to startle both of those walking behind him. "Sorry guys."

* * *

Hinata thought it was a shitty day. A totally shitty day. Not only his plan with Tsukishima was ruined, but also he had to meet those guys from his middle school days in which brought back upsetting memories.

An email from Kenma brought him back from his reverie.

_By: Kenma  
Subject: No subject  
Message:  
Shouyo, you are going to Tokyo, right? Btw, who is that blond glasses boy in your team again? Kuroo has been bugging me to ask you about him. Better yet, give me his email address if it's okay._

HE DEFINITELY NEEDED TO PASS THE MOCK EXAM!

* * *

Thanks for reading, review/comment? *_*


	8. Bitter Realization

Wew, I didn't realize it but I didn't update this story for almost one year. I am sorry for my dear readers who waited for so long, and if you read this, thank you very much for still wanting to read this story, with its slow updates. I genuinely hope you will enjoy this chapter.

**BITTER REALIZATION**

The car moved fast, almost reached the speed limit of the highway. Tanaka's sister, Saeko, was smiling lopsidedly as she glanced at the stiff Hinata in the passenger seat beside her. She looked at the speed meter and smiled even wider. The poor teenager must had terrified by now.

"I can bring you to Tokyo quickly, so make sure you don't barf-"

"Nee-chan, can you go faster?"

"What!?" Saeko couldn't believe her ears. Never once someone asked her to drive faster. Up until then, everyone only wanted her to drive slower. She looked back and forth between Hinata and the road.

"Tsukishima... That Kuroo... We need to go there faster, Nee-chan!"

"Hah!? What are you talking about!?"

"You have to hurry! Come on!"

"But-but, the speed limit doesn't allow us to go faster than this!"

"But, Nee-chan! Tsukishima-"

"Don't be silly, Hinata stupid. Tsukishima is too stupid to choose other people besides you." Kageyama rose from his lying down position.

"Just like how stupid you are to not move on already?"

"SHUT UP!"

And just in an instant Kageyama and Hinata were struggling to scratch each other's face.

"BOYS, QUIT IT!"

* * *

The moment the duo first years his senpai told him entered the gym, his eyes glued to the strawberry blond guy. His height was on par with his and he also had the same position with him.

Lev smirked silently. He marked him now. And from then on, that guy was his rival, a perfect rival. He was also a first year, so, in term of skill and ability they wouldn't be too far apart.

Lev didn't count the experience, though.

The first time he saw how Hinata spiked, he knew, at the rate he was going, he wouldn't be anywhere near him anytime soon.

"Kenma-san," Lev started.

The bored-looking setter gave him a side glance. "Huh?"

"I have decided."

"What did you decide?"

"That tall spiker from Karasuno is going to be my rival."

Kenma sighed. "Say that after you are able to spike pass Kuroo."

"Eh!" Lev exclaimed. "That's too difficult, Kenma-san. Kuroo-san is a monster."

Suddenly, a sturdy arm slung over his shoulders. He looked to his side and found his captain smirked.

"That guy is also a monster." Kuroo said. "Fight a monster with a monster."

Lev blinked. He then stared ahead to where Hinata and Kageyama was doing their weird quick.

"Is he really that good?"

Kenma sprouted a very faint smile. "You will see."

* * *

Hinata dried his sweaty face with a towel Yachi brought to him. There was something nagged him at the back of his mind. He could feel eyes following his action during the game. He looked sideway and tried to be as discreet as possible to catch whoever it was.

"That guy keeps looking at you intensely." Sugawara suddenly said.

"Ah, Suga-san!" The taller boy was surprised since he didn't see when Sugawara approached him.

"Sorry for surprising you. But, I think you caught his interest."

"Really?"

"Yup, just be ready for any challenge he may possess for us."

"Yes!"

Sugawara smiled and he nodded his goodbye before following the captain for a short meeting with their coach. Hinata grinned to himself. Another rival would always excite him.

He turned to grab something from his bag when he was face to face with Tsukishima. And the bespectacled boy looked annoyed for some reason.

Several seconds, both didn't say anything.

Ah, they hadn't even greeted each other since his arrival. When Hinata opened his mouth to greet the shorter boy, Tsukishima beat him to it.

"You catch his interest, huh?"

Of all things, Tsukishima just happened to misunderstand that part. Hinata could feel an upcoming headache.

* * *

The next day of the practice match, Kageyama could foresee that he was going to be really pissed. Last night Tsukishima was ignoring Hinata, everyone in their sleeping room knew what that meant. A distracted Hinata.

Sugawara-san found it funny, though. That they once again acted like a couple in which they were not, yet. Though, he wouldn't find it as funny had he known that the reason behind Tsukishima's sulking was his talk with Hinata.

Hinata stared with a pout ahead. He stared at the net until suddenly Lev stood tall at the other side. The Half Russian looked down at him and with a smirk, he challenged.

"I am going to stop your quick today."

* * *

"I did it!" Lev celebrated. His teammates joined soon. Kuroo patted him at his back, followed by the other seniors.

"Now, there is nothing to worry about." Lev confidently said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Kuroo suddenly pinched his cheeks. "It's not that simple with them."

"Eh? How so? That quick is their ultimate attack, right?"

"But not their only attack." Kenma piped in.

Kuroo slung his arm over Lev's shoulders and motioned him to look forward where the Karasuno team was.

"When their quick got stopped, that "rival" of yours is going to use brute force. Together with the second and the third years, it's quite painful to defend our score."

"Eh? Really?" Lev turned to Hinata. His eyes widened a fraction at the different aura around Hinata now. His movement was less erratic and his stand was ready. His eyes turned more serious and the childish excitement was gone.

* * *

Tsukishima didn't want to join at first. But, remembering what Sugawara-senpai said about that half Russian's interest in Hinata made him feeling strangely resentful. So, the moment Bokuto and Kuroo asked him to join their practice, after a series of taunts from both boys, he hesitantly accepted.

Hesitant, since he had rejected Hinata's invitation for a practice session with him, as a sort of reconciliaton way.

* * *

"You what?"

Tsukishima didn't see Hinata when the taller boy asked him. In fact, he was speaking with Yamaguchi, not with Hinata, about his after-practice practice with Kuroo and Bokutou. So, it was unexpected when Hinata suddenly ask him from behind.

"Tsukishima, you trained with who?" The taller boy asked again. Strangely, his voice sounded flat. Cold.

Tsukishima sighed in annoyance before turning around and looking up to Hinata. His heart skipped a beat and there was a surge of displeasing emotion washed over him when he looked up at the taller boy.

The expression Hinata wore was nothing scary, it was, hurtful.

"And you refused to practice with me." It wasn't a question. And the way Hinata averted his eyes sprouted panic in his chest.

Why did he feel like this?

The air was very thick between them. Yamaguchi had been long gone to give them some privacy.

"I was taunted."

After a heavy minute, Tsukishima suddenly replied. The need he felt to explain himself to the taller boy was unreasonable. Hinata looked straight to him, eyes searching.

A few seconds had never felt this long before Hinata's hurtful face turned into something more neutral.

"I see." Hinata said before turning around, leaving him alone.

Tsukishima's left arm held his right forearm, as it was about to reach out to Hinata when he stepped away.

He didn't like this feeling, not a bit.

* * *

Kageyama looked left and right in confusion. Tsukishima looked irritated more than usual, but he purposely not get in Hinata's way in anyway, he didn't taunt him today too. While Hinata, he was calm. Not a good kind of calm, but the caldera kind of calm. A peaceful surface covering the raging and powerful magma underneath.

Kageyama then stared ahead to Sugawara. The senior understood and he just sighed and shook his head lightly, signalling him to leave them be.

* * *

"Oi, Tsukki." Kuroo called as he approached the Karasuno. "Join our practice again after this."

From afar, Kageyama looked at their interaction with keen eyes. Kuroo's body language showed him what he needed to know that the Nekoma was slightly attracted to Tsukishima.

He then looked to his back, where Hinata packed his things up. Kageyama was sure that Hinata saw the Captain of Nekoma approached their middle blocker, but the way Hinata took it concerned him.

"Oi, Hinata."

"Huh?"

Kageyama narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you really like him, fight for him." There, he finally said it.

Hinata's eyes widened for a fraction of second before they back to normal again. Kageyama was not as dense as he let on.

"I am." Hinata said with a confident smile and burning eyes.

* * *

"Oh, finally you are here, Tsukki." Kuroo ushered him to get ready.

"Oh, you brought your friend?" Bokutou piped in. They all turned around to find Hinata grinned and waved his hand nervously.

"Ma-May I join too?"

"Hinata?" The relief Tsukishima felt was undescribable. Hinata's relatively cold demeanor throughout the day bothered him, he wouldn't say that out loud, though.

Kuroo was silent as he regarded the boy. He knew from Kenma that Hinata and Tsukishima had something between them. But, by seeing them in this practice camp, he knew they were not a couple.

He admitted that he was attracted to Tsukishima, but he was not head over hills for him. So, he was okay even if Hinata had Tsukishima's attention more. Besides, It would be interesting to see them go all blushing and awkward.

"Of course, you ca-"

"Then I'll be joining too!" Lev suddenly ran towards them after he just finished his receiving training.

Everyone missed how Tsukishima's eyebrow twitched.

* * *

"Damn, what's wrong with him?" Lev commented after he gulped some water from his water bottle.

"Tsukishima?" Kuroo asked.

"Yeah. I thought he was nice enough that Kuroo-senpai is actually teaching him blocking."

"Hahahaha!" Bakutou laughed. "It's because of this guy interested in him that you should be wary of Tsukki!" He elaborated. Oh, Bakutou didn't realize how spotted on his comment was.

"Hey, Hinata, your teammate is scary."

Hinata paused as he looked to Tsukishima who was in the process of getting out of the gym.

"Er, yeah, he is scary." Hinata smiled faintly and a blush was threatiningly creeping to his cheeks.

"... Your face doesn't look scared at all." Lev commented. "What's wrong with him anyway? He was mean to me only." Lev crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Hinata sweat-dropped. He knew very well what triggered that behaviour.

* * *

The moment Hinata and Tsukishima entered their sleeping room, while bickering back and forth, Kageyama smirked to himself under his blanket. At least they had smoothed out whatever problems they had between them.

He could hear Hinata offered Tsukishima some snack but the blond refused since he had brushed his teeth or something like that. The Captain was telling them to be quiet since Tanaka's snore was enough to disturb their much needed rest. Kageyama smiled, at least those stupid love crows had smoothed out their problem.

* * *

The next day started like usual. They ate breakfast with the third years nagging about the first years' portions for breakfast. Some got too much in their tray, some had too little. Sugawara massaged the bridge of his nose when Hinata argued with Tsukishima to have more fried fish.

But then, during their match, no one expected it to happen. Even Ukai. It was quite embarrassing to not expecting it to happen eventually.

Ubugawa's serves were killer. Their formation ruined whenever they served. It was frustrating in the first minutes. During that time, the unimaginable happened.

Their formation once again ruined and they scattered due to the serve. It was fortunate of them that Daichi received the ball. The ball was thrown up so high that they couldn't gauge where it would land. Kageyama was on stand by to set the ball, but, to his horror, the ball fell to Hinata's direction.

Everyone's heart fell at that, and some of them almost get out of their position, thinking that the round was over and they needed to stand on their starting position.

But, Hinata's arms raised slightly, his fingers spread out in a relaxed fashion, waiting. Everyone felt their muscles stopped and their blood ran faster. _What was he doing?_ Was in everyone's mind. Since inarguably, the boy just went into a setting position.

Kageyama reacted quickly enough, though. And he saw how Hinata's eyes flickered to him for a fraction. Hinata waited for the ball to descend.

"Kageyama!" Hinata yelled when the ball touched his fingers. He set the ball to Kageyama's way and the raven haired boy spiked it with his impressive straight.

The gym turned silent after that. Everyone's minds were jumbled over with the fact that Hinata just setting a ball to Kageyama.

"You can set?!" Tanaka yelled as he jumped on Hinata's back.

"Uh, yes." Hinata absentmindedly replied. Was that unbelievable? "I am bad at serving and receiving. I am decent at setting."

"I am not gonna lose to you." Kageyama suddenly murmured.

"Wh- NO! I am no way in your level!"

Tsukishima smiled to himself while everyone hyped up with Hinata setting. "Everyone always forgets that he was from Shiratorizawa." He said to himself.

Ukai grinned wide. Yes, he also forgot that Hinata was from Shiratorizawa and it was very plausible that he could do setting. There are so many things they seemed to be gray about with Hinata. The boy was cheerful and energetic, but, he didn't talk about himself. It was surprising whenever he showed them what a monster he really was on court.

Yeah, they could develop that attack too.

* * *

The end of their practice camp finally came, and it was closed with a generous barbeque. Everyone enjoyed themselves and all previous rivalry vanished from the air, replaced with warm camaraderie.

The barbeque finished in no time though, with all those hungry, growing boys. Hinata sat on the gyn floor, feeling full and happy. A smile was on his face bit it was wiped instantly when suddenly a tall guy with red hair and weird branched eyebrows announce himself and asked to see _Kei_.

"Hm, who is that? I wonder." Kuroo asked a little bit too loudly. Hinata could hear a quiet scold right after that, from Kenma, most probably.

"Oh, you arrived." Tsukishima approached the tall guy, and heck he was taller than Tsukishima.

Hinata stood up. His face was void of any expression and it shut even Kuroo and Bakutou.

"Oi, Hinata, what are you doing?" Kageyama asked, but he didn't touch him. Afraid to set him off.

"Hinata!" Sugawara whispered loudly when the tallest member of Karasuno walked to where Tsukishima and the stranger talked. Animatedly. And Tsukishima laughed!

* * *

"Who are you?" Hinata didn't greet.

Tsukishima turned quickly behind where Hinata stood tall and, damn, stared down at the person he was meeting.

"Hinata, what are you doing?" Tsukishima asked. Yet, the stupid stranger felt provoked with the way Hinata asked him.

"Who are you?" He asked back, no less interrogative.

Tsukishima looked back and forth between the two taller boys. He then rolled his eyes when everything clicked.

"Okay, this is Hinata." Tsukishima introduced Hinata first to the newcomer. "And Hinata, this is my cousin. He lives in Tokyo. We wanted to meet outside but Coach didn't allow me but allow him to visit me instead." Tsukishima elaborated.

Hinata blinked as soon as he heard _cousin_. He turned back to the said cousin and panic grew in his mind. Damn, he should have acted nicer!

"Oh, I am Tsukishima's teammates in Karasuno. Hinata Shouyo." Hinata bowed slightly.

The guy nodded. "Kagami Taiga."

"By the way, he is a basketball player. He can also get into the zone." Tsukishima stated as he gestured to his cousin.

"Can also? You can also get into the zone?" Kagami asked to Hinata.

"Yes." Hinata answered calmly. "But, lately it never happens again."

"Really?" Tsukishima suddenly joined. "Did you tell Coach already?"

"I did. But, it seems I have to see his grandfather since he has more understanding about the zone."

"Forget about the zone. By the way, how is Akiteru-san? Does he still play basketball?" Tsukishima's cousin suddenly asked.

"Nii-san? He doesn't play basketball. He plays volley, like me." Tsukishima replied, slightly bewildered.

"Huh? No. We used to play basketball together and you just watch since you aren't interested." Kagami said, no less confused.

"He plays volley."

"Basketball." Kagami said. "Yamaguchi also watched us."

"Yamaguchi?" Tsukishima frowned. He turned and stared at the said boy who flinched at the sudden sharp gaze of his friend. The black haired boy waved at him and to Kagami.

Tsukishima frowned more. He never introduced Yamaguchi to Kagami.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked, worry with the way Tsukishima looked lost.

"Here." Kagami said as he took out his phone. He then showed a picture where the younger version of Akiteru and Kagami, both holding basketballs, both sported wide grins and were sweaty so much that Tsukishima would wonder how long they had played. But, no. Tsukishima's focus was on why his brother played basketball instead of volley.

Then it crashed on him.

He remembered how the days were resetted. He met, again, with his high school friends and teammates. He started all over again with similar yet different moments. He had researched it and he ended up with parallel universe hypothesis.

If that hypothesis was correct, that means this timeline he was in right then wasn't actually his. As shown how Akiteru in this world played basketball instead of volley. How Yamaguchi had been introduced to Kagami while he was sure he never introduced them to one another.

How Hinata was taller than him.

He looked up to Kagami. This wasn't the cousin he really related to.

Tsukishima turned around and saw his teammates. Those were not his actual teammates.

"Tsukishima, are you okay?" Hinata asked again. Worry was clear in his voice.

Tsukishima looked up to him. He really wanted to deny the piercing feeling in his chest.

This wasn't the Hinata from his world. He wasn't his Hinata.

**TBC**

Thank you so much for reading this chapter. Review? *wiggleeyebrows*


	9. Secrets Revealed

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you sooooo much for my dear readers! I really appreciate your reviews guys. It was wonderful to know that some of you guys still reading this story. Another update and I hope you will like it.

**Warning: **OOCness may occurs in Tsukishima's parts.

**SECRETS REVEALED**

Everything seemingly went downhill after their summer camp. Kageyama and Hinata developed a new quick where Hinata could aim, their practice progresses like usual. But, something changed with Tsukishima. He daydreamt a lot to the point of oblivious to the things around him except when being in the actual practice.

Yamaguchi asked Kageyama to try making Tsukishima angry but the blond just appeared didn't even hear him. Sugawara asked Tsukishima about it but the first year just apologized and promised to be focus during matches and practices.

Other than that, he was lost.

Hinata took it the worst. Whereas Tsukishima still focus during practice, Hinata was not. And when he realized he could never figure out what happened with Tsukishima, he took his frustration out by spiking the poor balls hard that even Nishinoya protested about the bad-feeling spikes.

Kageyama walked home alone. Hinata took extra practice, alone. He emphasized that. Apparently he was still frustrated with how Tsukishima avoided him more than everyone.

There had been raining. The road was wet and the air was chilling. Water puddles could be seen here and there and Kageyama avoided them. He didn't want to wet his pants in this already cold weather.

Kageyama's musing was broken when he passed a college gym and he saw Shiratorizawa school bus and some boys with the famous maroon jersey. Kageyama felt the need to hide himself so he hid behind the gate fence. He peered again to the Shiratorizawa members who chatted with supposedly college students. Envy was written all over his face. Shiratorizawa's volley club was considered the best in their region and not many schools could satisfy their practice match standard. They opted to practice with college students as alternative.

Kageyama jumped when his phone suddenly rang. All the while cursing his own phone, he rummaged his backpack to take the noisy gadget.

* * *

"Damn, it's always intimidating me whenever I see his match." A Seijou's volleyball team member said. Iwaizumi frowned. Indeed, Ushijima was a force they had not been able to defeat up until then. And seeing how the Super Ace gave the college students a quite difficult time could dampen the team's spirit.

"Well, knowing that he is always that powerful means we are not that bad for getting defeated by them. But, don't think that will be enough." Oikawa said. "We have so many things to develop."

The regular team of Seijou just watched Shiratorizawa practice match, sneakily. No way would Oikawa let Ushijima know that Seijou watched them.

After that they decided to have an early dinner together to a restaurant right in front of the gym. They talked mostly about the match they just watched and what would be effective to counter Shiratorizawa's attacks, or invade their defense. That was it, until suddenly Oikawa pointed out the window.

"Isn't that Tobio-chan?"

Everyone turned to where Oikawa was pointing. One of them snickered at how silly Kageyama looked when he was hiding from Shiratorizawa members.

"What is he doing?" Kunimi asked.

"Probably he wants to spy on Shiratorizawa's practice match too." Iwaizumi replied nonchalantly.

"Heh. If I was Karasuno's captain I wouldn't assign him for a brain task like that." Oikawa snorted.

Kindaichi wondered too. He knew that Kageyama lived around there, but, for him to sneak about in front of the college gym was just too random, even for the weird Kageyama.

So, he took out his phone and searched his contact for Kageyama's. Kindaichi frowned when he remembered he had deleted it long time ago. Luckily, he still remembered. He pressed the numbers quickly and put the phone at his ear.

Kunimi raised his eyebrows at that, as if asking his friend, _what are you doing?_

Kindaichi shrugged, he didn't know and didn't care. He wanted to know what the hell that silly Kageyama was doing there.

* * *

Kageyama scowled when an unknown number displayed in the monitor of his phone. Who was that? And how this stranger knew his number. He looked around, suspicious that maybe there was a stalker following him.

* * *

"What is he doing? Why he is not picking up?" Kindaichi muttered to himself. Oikawa was about to say something destructive, apparently, as seen by the scary look Iwaizumi threw at the Captain to shut him up.

"He almost looks like he doesn't know my number." Kindaichi frowned. His phone was still on his ear, hoping that Kageyama would accept his call. Kindaichi was aware that he was the one cut the ties between them. But, facing the reality of how distant they ended up, somehow upset him. "Did he delete my contact?"

"Kindaichi." Kunimi tapped on his shoulder.

"What?" It came out harsher than he intended. His eyes glued to Kageyama who was now looking around.

"I think Kageyama really doesn't know your number." Kunimi stated.

"He deleted my number." Kindaichi concluded with a sour face.

"No." Kunimi paused. He even seemed contemplating to say or not to say what in his mind. "You changed your number to avoid him. Remember?"

With that one sentence, Kindaichi felt his heart sunk. Kunimi was right. After that one match, Kindaichi tried to contact Kageyama but the latter turned his phone off all the time. He got angry and changed his phone number right when Kageyama started to open up again.

There was no way Kageyama had his new phone number. He wouldn't have approached his old teammates after what happened.

"What the hell?" Oikawa suddenly cursed. Kindaichi looked to his senpai. The older boy had a neutral face but his eyes were so sharp that Kindaichi knew he was in his very scary mode.

He turned to see what caused it and his face fell. There was Kageyama crouching down, looked sorrowful as he watched his phone drowned in a puddle of water, with Ushijima Wakatoshi behind him.

* * *

"I am sorry for that." Ushijima stated.

Kageyama couldn't help it! He had been so focus on finding this stalker who got his phone number that he didn't realized that someone approached him from behind. Ushijima just greeted him with a casual "Kageyama Tobio?" but that was enough to surprise him that he lost his hold on his phone.

The phone made a flip dive into the nearest water puddle. Kageyama heard how it made a _pop_ sound when all the air inside it left its casing. Oh, the poor thing.

Kageyama looked up to the older boy. "It's okay." He said, in contrast with the accusing stare he threw the marron-jerseyed person.

"It's not okay. Your phone looked damaged beyond repair."

"I know!" Kageyama was so frustrated that he lost control of his voice.

Ushijima caught the distress from Kageyama and understood that he was the one causing it. "It's all on me." He stated as he stared flatly to Kageyama. "Don't worry. I will replace it."

"Eh." All the anger seeped out from Kageyama's head instantly. He returned the older boy's stare with a dumbfound look. "I-It's not your fault. I was not careful."

"It's alright. I will replace it." Ushijima insisted. "I am sorry for surprising you. But, one of my teammates saw and heard suspicious person around the gate so I was checking it. It was you. What are you doing here?"

"This is my way to school and back home." Kageyama replied casually. He forgot about his broken phone already.

"Oh, your house is around here?"

"Two blocks to east."

Ushijima nodded. "Are you alone?"

"Yes. Hinata wanted to practice alone."

"Then you can join our bus. We will head to east for dinner. There was a restaurant our Coach has reserved for treating the college students as thanks." Ushijima offered. "We can drop you on the way."

"No, really. I don't want to intrude."

"The others would like to talk to you too. About Shouyou, mostly." Ushijima suddenly said.

Kageyama suddenly remembered the cold and unfriendly encounter Hinata had with some of the Shiratorizawa's members. He was curious and was sure that there was a problem between Hinata and his previous teammates that left a bad feeling for them, something that was not publicly revealed. Unlike his.

"Okay then. Sorry for the intrusion." Kageyama bowed slightly.

* * *

"What the hell is he doing? He just followed Ushiwaka like a lost puppy!" Oikawa groused.

Kindaichi couldn't agree more. What was Kageyama thinking? Besides, when had he been in speaking term with Ushijima? It bothered him so much. But, Kindaichi could not do anything. He was no one to Kageyama now.

* * *

"Oi, Ushijima, who is that?" Tendou asked. "Wait, I know you." He tilted his head.

"Kageyama Tobio, from Karasuno." Kageyama bowed as he introduced himself before anyone could ask that question again.

"And, what is he doing here?" This time Tendou turned to his captain, one eyebrow raised in question.

"He is going to join us in the bus, since we will pass his block." Ushijima stated.

"Hm, it's rare for you to pick a stray first year." Tendou smirked as he looked at Kageyama who was blushing in embarrassment after being called _stray first year_.

"Did the coach approve to this?" Shirabu asked.

"Our coach is already in the restaurant, making sure that everything is ready. I will take full responsibility of it." Ushijima nodded. He would not want to put his team in a problem just for his impulsive decision.

"I am sorry for finishing late, Senpai!" A bowl-cut, black haired boy approached them and bowed deeply, mainly toward Ushijima.

Ushijima nodded. "It's okay. Now since everyone is here, let's get into our bus." Ushijima said to his teammate. He then turned to Kageyama. "Let's go."

* * *

Kageyama ended up sitting next to the black haired first year. The boy was surprised that their Captain let someone join their bus. But Kageyama could see a silent comprehension crossed the boy's face for a fleeting moment.

Kageyama was sitting upright, afraid to make any move that could offend anyone from the team. He lived two blocks away so it wouldn't be a long ride, but, he still wanted it to be shorter.

"You are from Karasuno, right?" Suddenly the first year asked. "How is Hinata doing?"

Kageyama blinked. There was a hidden worry all over the boy's face. He also picked how silent the bus was, suddenly. As if everyone stopped talking and wanted to hear his answer.

"He is doing well." He answered with a shrug. Because really, what did that guy expect?

"Oh, that's good." The boy nodded. "Has he had any problem with his leg?" The boy asked again.

Now, Kageyama frowned. What was the boy talking about? What happened with his leg? "No, as far as I know." Kageyama replied. "Did something happen with his leg before?"

"Oh, he hasn't told your teammates?" The boy's eyes widened.

"Tell me about it." Kageyama was far too bothered by it that he forgot his awkwardness and downright intimidating for the slightly taller boy to tell him about Hinata.

"Now now, Kageyama-kun." Tendo looked to them from the front seat. "It is better if Hinata the one telling you." He offered.

"Shouyou has his reasons for not telling your team. Let's respect that." Ushijima intervened. "And Goshiki, stop asking questions."

"Y-Yes!" Goshiki said.

Two minutes later, Kageyama got off the bus. With a prominent frown and a lingering worry in his head for his partner on the court.

* * *

Hinata munched on his sandwich bread slowly. Tsukishima had been acting weird since the end of the training camp. It bothered him, very much. When he thought he got the clear green light to make a move, the subject of his affection withdrew himself away.

He had enough.

Hinata ate the remaining of his sandwich in one go. His classmate flinched at that.

"O-oi, Hinata. Slow down."

Hinata banged his desk with determination. He then stood up and made a thumb up to his classmate.

"Wiff meh luk!" He said with a mouthful of sandwich.

* * *

When he arrived at Tsukishima's class door, he met with a gloomy looking Yamaguchi. The black haired boy looked up at him before sighing and walked away. Not before bumping his fist to Hinata's shoulder. Silently pleading to bring back his friend.

Hinata braced himself before entering the class. Tsukishima was picking his food without even looking at it. His eyes were far through the window.

Hinata approached. Tsukishima actually looked surprised when Hinata stood right beside his desk.

"What are you doing here?" The blonde's tone was conversational, not even close to his normal irritated one.

"Can we talk?" Hinata asked.

* * *

Another surprising thing was Tsukishima didn't even object to Hinata's request. The taller boy asked him to talk at the rooftop of the school, and the blond just nodded. Almost like he didn't care what would happen to himself. Now they were standing side by side. Hands folded on the stony fence.

"What happened?" Hinata asked straight to the point. He was never known for subtlety. "You changed."

Tsukishima shrugged. He actually expected that question. "You will not believe it."

"Try me."

"I am an alien."

Hinata turned to him. All wide eyes and mouth agape. He took three steps back and all blood drain from his face.

"I-I knew it! Aliens exist!"

Tsukishima facepalmed. A smile on his face. "You really believe that?"

Hinata pouted. "You lied?"

"Of course." Tsukishima sighed.

"Well, at least you smiled." Hinata grinned.

Tsukishima blinked. It was true, he didn't remember the last time he smiled after he realized his situation.

Neither said anything for a long while. Tsukishima wasn't sure to tell Hinata or not. On the other hand, Hinata just waited patiently, thinking that Tsukishima might need sometime. When he was sure Tsukishima wouldn't open up, Hinata changed his tactic.

It might feel like opening an old wound. But, if he could make Tsukishima speak, then he would take that chance.

"How about a secret for a secret." Hinata smiled. Tsukishima looked to him. The taller boy's eyes looked vacant, reminiscing something he would like to bury instead.

Hinata took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh.

"Do you remember that I only played in my third year during middle school?" Hinata started. He opened his eyes and there was a calm but raging hatred in those normally bright eyes. "There was sabotage."

Tsukishima's eyes widened for a fraction. Sabotage? In a sport team? That was highly unacceptable.

"I could have played sooner. In fact, when Ushijima-senpai and the others in his year still around, I was in a match once." Hinata continued. "It changed when they retired. The upper classmen, the starting members, demanded me to be excluded from the regular team, behind my back. They said that my movements were all too erratic for them to keep up and would disrupt the team rather than strengthened it. They even threatened the new coach that they would not participate in the upcoming tournaments if I am in the regular line up."

Hinata's hands were in fists. His knuckles went white as his chest felt constricted.

Tsukishima was worried that Hinata would hurt his hands like that.

"And it was not all. They bullied me. Telling me to do all the chores and even yelling at me in front of my juniors. I was clueless of why they would be that cruel to me until Goshiki- my classmate, told me that the similarity between my ability and Ushijima-senpai's was seen as a threat to them."

Hinata took another deep breath. "They looked up to Ushijima-senpai, but when someone, younger than them, had the similar potential, they hated it."

"One week before their retirement. I had a bad argument with the captain. Our coaches had a meeting that day so the captain had full authority. He punished me with jumping serve marathon. The court was slippery from my sweat, I slipped. To prevent my fall I force my leg to support my body and in the process I damaged the muscle of my thigh, pretty bad." Hinata turned around to lean his back on the stony fence. "Need a six-month treatment to get my muscles healed up completely. Another three months to catch up with the blank period of no practice."

Tsukishima was speechless. He never thought something like that would happen to Hinata. The bright boy Hinata, whom people could hardly dislike for his outgoing personality. Yet, envy always popped its ugly heads in people's heart unannounced and would corrupt one's mind to do something unbecoming.

What Hinata went through was as bad as Kageyama did. Tsukishima understood now the reason behind Hinata's empathy toward their kingly setter.

"That's my story." Hinata smiled lop-sidedly, seemingly back to his bright self. "How about yours?"

Tsukishima bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to share it with Hinata but he didn't know where to start. The only thing in his mind was "I don't belong here." and there, he said it.

Hinata blinked. "Of course you belong here. You study here."

Tsukishima shook his head. "It's different, Hinata."

"How different?"

"You won't understand."

"Then make me understand!" Hinata tried. He didn't want to push the blond but it was getting harder to stay calm when the answer felt so close yet out of his reach.

"One day, I will change." Tsukishima began. "Not that much of a change, but different." Tsukishima leaned his head to his folded arms by his chin. "That Tsukishima, is not this Tsukishima. He is Tsukishima, but not _me_ Tsukishima."

"And when that time comes, I will not be here anymore. I think."

Hinata was quiet for some seconds. There was a dread creeping all over his body hearing Tsukishima said something that vague but understandable. "You will vanish?"

"Physically, no. Tsukishima will still be around. But, me, yes, I will not be here. This consciousness will not be here." Tsukishima closed his eyes. Eyebrows furrowed at how would it feel when he was back to his home timeline, leaving this big oaf that he felt something special to.

He was yanked. Tsukishima yelped in surprised at how Hinata yanked him just to face him. Hinata's grips on both of his upper arms were both gentle but firm.

"What do you mean with consciousness? How about your memory?" _Memory about us?_ Hinata minded.

Tsukishima relaxed in Hinata's hold. "That Tsukishima won't have the memory I have here. Maybe." Tsukishima looked away before turned to Hinata again. "But, I will bring this memory forever." He added. He felt the need to assure the taller boy about that.

"Where are you going anyway?" Hinata searched Tsukishima's eyes. He tried, really tried and hoped that there was amusement to show that this was a big, mean, prank. But he only saw melancholy in those honey-colored eyes.

Tsukishima shook his head, unsure, but still replied. "Home? Where I really belong. The world I really belong."

"The world you really belong?" Now, Hinata felt desperate.

"In my world, the Hinata I know is short. He is 162 centimeters." Tsukishima smiled. "And he is not from Shiratorizawa."

"So, you are... Like, from another world?" Hinata finally followed.

"Yes. And there is also the original Tsukishima from this world. But, I don't know where he is. Probably in my world now."

Hinata's holds on his upper arms didn't cease. Tsukishima looked up, finally, when he felt that Hinata's hands were trembling. The taller boy's face was covered by his bangs but the way he was chewing on his bottom lip worried Tsukishima.

"Hinata..." Tsukishima trailed. He hated it how soft he had become around this Hinata.

The taller boy suddenly put his forehead on Tsukishima's shoulder. "Remember me. Promise me that. Only that."

Tsukishima choked on his own breath. His usual hard facade crumbled as he hugged the taller boy and buried his face on Hinata's shoulder.

"I promise." It came out muffled, but Tsukishima sure that Hinata heard that. "Don't forget me too."

"I won't." Hinata muttered. Hinata then released his hold and cupped the blonde's face. His eyes hard with determination as he stared back and forth between the shorter boy's eyes and lips.

Tsukishima's eyes widened. It was clear as the sky above what Hinata would do.

"I like you, Tsukishima." Hinata whispered before kissed the pliant lips. It took a few seconds for Tsukishima to overcome his surprise and replied the kiss.

"Woah!" Kageyama yelled in surprised.

Hinata and Tsukishima jumped and released their hold on each other. They turned toward the door where Kageyama was standing and a very embarrassed Yamaguchi hid behind him.

Tsukishima felt his head spinning with how much blood rushed to his face due to the embarrassment he felt, getting caught by Kageyama, of all people, in that situation with Hinata.

"Kageyama! What are you doing here!?" Hinata exclaimed. His eyes wide and heavy blush decorated his cheeks. Tsukishima faced away as he shuffled to stand behind Hinata. He really didn't want to see Kageyama's smug face.

"Yamaguchi saw you guys going up here and he thought it would be dangerous and you might fight. He asked me to accompany him checking up on you." Kageyama smirked. His face was contorted with the teasing smirk he was sporting.

"Well, thank you for your worry, Yamaguchi. But, really, you guys ruined the moment." Hinata bluntly said.

"Moment, huh?" Kageyama teased. Yamaguchi from behind him tried to signal him to stop but it was too funny for Kageyama.

"Kageyama, shut it. It's really tempting to punch you now." Tsukishima sounded from behind Hinata, still hiding his face.

"Huh, what was that, Tsukishima!?" Kageyama challenged.

The door of the rooftop suddenly opened again. The four of them turned to it and found Takeda stood at it, quite breathless, yet his face was pale.

"Ka-Kageyama-kun, someone wants to see you." He started. "But, before that, what happened between you and Ushijima Wakatoshi that he comes for you right now?"

Kageyama's blank face was enough to lift Tsukishima's mood after the embarrassing encounter.

"Huh?" Was Kageyama's smart answer.

**TBC**

Thank you for reading! Review? *_*


	10. Spring Tournament Began

I am sooo glad and kind of relieved that you guys still read this story after my long absence. Thank you so much for reading the previous chapter and here I present you the next one. Hope you will like it guys :3

**SPRING TOURNAMENT BEGAN**

Kageyama closed the door behind him and just stared ahead to the corridor of the school. He looked down to the package in his hands. He really couldn't believe that Ushijima really replaced his broken phone. He tried to reject it but the guy was impossible and he didn't want to make a scene in his school.

Kageyama walked toward his classroom as he inspected the package. Ushijima got him the same model with his damaged phone, for that he was grateful so he didn't need to fiddle with it before properly able to use the device. Kageyama raised his eyebrows when he spotted an envelope. He flipped it and there was writing on it.

_I am sorry for your phone. I believe your simcard was also damaged. Here is a simcard, in case you don't have time yet to get your old number replaced._

The writing said. Kageyama smiled thinly. That guy was actually considerate.

"Kageyama, what happened?" Hinata approached. Kageyama looked up, he expected that Hinata would want to know about whatever happened between him and Ushijima.

"He replaced my phone." Kageyama showed Hinata the envelope and the package.

"Oh, typical Senpai." Hinata looked closely to the thing in Kageyama's hands.

There was a pause when they just walked to Kageyama's classroom.

"So, you are going to use this new number?"

"I think so. Since I haven't requested for simcard replacement." Kageyama shrugged. "You can save this number."

"Right. But, actually, I was wondering." Hinata's tune suddenly turned teasing. "What happened between you and Ushijima-senpai that I don't know?" Hinata smirked, complete with wriggle of his eyebrows.

Kageyama glared. "Nothing like you and Tsukishima."

"Yet?"

Kageyama's hand was so fast that Hinata could do nothing but wailing as the smaller boy grabbed his face in a vice-grip. The blunt nails dug painfully on his flesh.

"Okay! Okay! I give up, Kageyama!"

* * *

"Really? He replaced Kageyama's phone?" Tsukishima asked as he put his sport glasses.

They were in the changing room. Hinata answered a yes as he wiggled his way to his practice shirt. Tsukishima turned away when he felt that his face heated up seeing those flexing muscles.

"It just annoying how Senpai didn't even ask to see me." Hinata said as he smoothed out his shirt. "Yosh, I am ready."

Hinata then walked toward the door. He opened it but didn't walk out. Instead, he looked right and left. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at that weird behavior.

The taller boy closed the door again and quickly walked to him. Tsukishima blinked at the sudden rush and petrified when Hinata kissed him.

It was a chaste kiss. The taller boy finished it quickly and smiled widely. "See you in the gym."

"Hi-Hinata! That was dangerous!" Tsukishima threw him an empty water bottle. His face was completely red.

"I checked. Remember?" Hinata dodged as he referred to his weird action of checking their surrounding by the door.

"Tch, whatever. Go." Tsukishima turned as he put his practice shoes on.

"Yosh!" Hinata beamed.

When Tsukishima was sure he was alone, he sighed. His heart beat so fast that he was worry he would get sick. He wondered if he could survive dating Hinata as the boy was unpredictable with his affection, and action.

Action. They just started going out, after a lot of blushing and spluttered confessions, for few hours and the guy already kissed him twice.

Shit.

* * *

Sugawara smiled wide, like, stupidly wide. Shimizu looked at him with suspicious stare and silently asked him what was in his mind but the Vice Captain just shrugged before strutting over a certain first year.

"Tsukishima." Sugawara tapped his shoulder. The first year turned and blinked seeing the very happy senior.

"Yes?"

"I am happy you are okay now." Sugawara smiled softer. "By the way, Hinata looked extremely happy, don't you think?"

Tsukishima blushed. He hid the blush by pretending adjusting the bridge of his glasses.

"I am happy too, seeing you guys doing well. Even Kageyama comparatively happy-looking."

"Er, yes." Tsukishima nodded.

"And look at Hinata! He is always energetic. Ukai-san told me that he rides bicycle over mountains every day. His stamina must be crazy." Sugawara kept smiling. But Tsukishima felt something was off with that smile. Something like, sadistic glee.

"His stamina must be crazy." The gentle senior repeated. He then faced the confused first year. He tapped him on his shoulders twice before jogging away.

Tsukishima was dumbfounded. What was that?

From away, Daichi face-palmed with a red face.

* * *

Kindaichi stared at his phone. There was a message he had typed but didn't have the gut to send it.

_Hello, Kageyama. It's Kindaichi. I changed my number. Just let you know._

But, why would he want Kageyama to know his number? There was no excuse and importance of informing Kageyama his new number.

Beat it.

Kindaichi pressed _send_.

Kindaichi never felt this nervous. He tossed his phone on his bed and pretended that he didn't care about that.

One minute later, his phone notified him a new message. Kindaichi scrambled to take his phone and see what the message was.

He frowned when he saw that it was a message from the operator that told him that his message failed to send.

What happened with Kageyama's number?

* * *

Finally, the Spring Tournament preliminary would start next week. This time, they had to make it through to National. It was the last chance for the third years.

Yamaguchi was training for his floating jump serve. And Kageyama needed to do some errand. It left Tsukishima and Hinata alone. They had been dating for three weeks now and it was getting natural to be alone together, just the two of them.

Tsukishima side-glanced at the taller boy. Hinata was maneuvering his bicycle while his eyes vacant. Tsukishima lowered his headphones.

"What are you thinking?"

Hinata turned and was actually surprised, as if he forgot that he was not alone.

"Oh, it was nothing." Hinata looked at the front again. "I just want to beat Shiratorizawa."

"Shiratorizawa?" Tsukishima inquired. "I thought it was only Ushijima?"

Hinata shook his head a little. "That what I always say. I am not as bright as I let on, I guess." He then looked at Tsukishima. "I have my ugly side."

Tsukishima understood what Hinata referred to. No matter how Hinata tried to crush those ugly feelings... hatred, vengeance, still clouded his heart every time he remembered his days during Shiratorizawa. His rivalry with Ushijima was true, but that was just half the reason he looked forward for their match.

"Everyone has their ugly side." Tsukishima started. "Now, how do you control them, that matters." Tsukishima tried. He was not a wise person but Hinata was in need of some sort of reassurance. And Tsukishima didn't like to see a gloomy Hinata, he needed to make a diversion.

"By the way, Shouyou." Tsukishima began as he rounded him and sat on the back seating of Hinata's bicycle.

"Oh, no, Kei, come on! The road is ascending!" Hinata groused.

"Exactly. So, hurry up." Tsukishima put his headphones up again, no music played, though. He smiled lopsidedly, challenge in his eyes.

Hinata sighed as he climbed up the bicycle. "It's not free."

Tsukishima blinked and his face heated up.

Let's just say, that Tsukishima had found out that Hinata could hold his breath for a very long while.

* * *

It was finally here. The Spring Tournament had officially started. They defeated Oguminami and Kakugawa High School, which had a two meters tall player. It would be a scary predicament for a team to face such opponent, but meeting with Hinata's jumping power and agility, combined with his height, two meters alone would not enough to be an effective weapon. Karasuno was naturally a bad match for Kakugawa. Their ace hadn't had enough experience, yet.

They were walking by the gym gate where their next match would be held, against Johzenji. It was peaceful until suddenly the captain of their opponent waved at them from the entrance.

"Hey! Next time give me your number, Glasses-chan!" The guy yelled loudly from the entrance of the gym they were heading.

Everyone didn't need to look to know what would happen. Tanaka and Nishinoya jumped instantly. But Daichi readily got a hold of them by the collar of their jackets.

"Da-Daichi-san!" Tanaka whined. Sugawara clapped slowly.

"What a great reflex, Captain." Sugawara commented.

"I know these guys. They would do that. At least we prevented a chaos from happening." Daichi said, rather proud of himself.

"Daichi..." Asahi trailed. His face was pale and his finger was trembling, pointing to the entrance of the gym.

"Hm?" Daichi and Sugawara wondered before turning to see that they were actually failed to see the real threat.

There was Hinata, in front of the Johzenji Captain. Stood tall at 192 cm with his predatory aura fully in effect.

"Wh-What!?" The Captain asked, putting a brave face.

"Glasses-chan?" Hinata asked slowly. He almost didn't register the attention he was receiving from the people around them. While the Captain felt how thick the intimidating air around Hinata.

"I-I am sorry!" Suddenly a girl pushed the Captain away and bowed to Hinata. "He didn't mean it."

Hinata stared down the girl. He didn't care about anything else, the only thing in his mind was the prey that had tried to hit on the _Glasses-chan_.

Glasses-chan in Hinata's mind was only one person.

Tsukishima.

So, how dare this unknown guy hit on his boyfriend in his presence?

* * *

"What is he doing?" Sugawara asked to all of the team members but no one answered for some seconds, they were too fixated to this scary version of Hinata.

Until suddenly Ennoshita pointed to Tsukishima. "Glasses-chan."

Tsukishima lowered his head and facepalmed.

* * *

The girl, later known as Johzenji manager, forced the Captain to bow low and said his apology out loud.

"I am sorry, Karasuno's manager!" He said.

Right after the words left the guy's mouth, Hinata blinked and all the intimidating aura around him vanished.

"Manager?" He turned toward his teammates, still standing by the gate. Kiyoko bowed too as the acceptance of his apology, and everything clicked.

"Uwoooh! So it was Kiyoko-senpai!?" Hinata yelled. "I-I AM SORRY!" He apologized as he realized how out-of-boundary his action was, and bowed deeply to his teammates.

* * *

Hinata sighed in relief as he got out of the men toilet. He had endured his full bladder the entire of their journey to the gym and he really missed the feeling of empty bladder.

The peace was short-lived, though, when he saw three guys passed the toilet.

"Oh." One of them stopped, brought his two friends to stop and look toward Hinata. "Hello, Hinata." The guy greeted. Fake smile on his face.

"Hello." Hinata nodded a bit. He purposely didn't call his name. The Shiratorizawa uniforms on their figures were getting on Hinata's nerves. After all that happened, they still managed to get into the club.

"You went far during Interhigh." Another guy asked. He then smiled wider. "Your seniors must have disciplined you better than we had."

Hinata counted in his head from one to ten. The rage was starting to build up and he wasn't sure that he could stop himself now. Before, he was bound with the club they shared. Now, there was nothing bound Hinata to them that it felt soooo easy to punch them one by one. He might be a bright, happy, and nice boy. But he was also an ordinary boy with his share of mischief and brawls. Fight was nothing Hinata never did.

"Pfft, yeah. But, Hinata..." The third guy joined the talk. "how are your leg and serves?" The guy looked smug. He smiled in victory as he looked the hurt and rage flashed in Hinata's eyes.

Hinata didn't even realize it when he raised his arm. His eyes only fixed on the guy's face, his former Captain. His muscles were tensed and he could feel the force his arms had collected. With a burst of uncontrolled rage, his arm swung forward.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Before Hinata's fist reached the guy's face, someone held his body back by his shoulders. The force was strong enough to drag him back. He looked back and expected it to be one of his teammates. Hinata blinked when he saw white-turquoise uniform.

"Iwa-chan, we should have let Giant-kun punch this guy. That way we can have Karasuno disqualified." Oikawa said beside him. His tune was light but turned darker at the last sentence, as if reminding him that it was over for his team had he punched a player.

Hinata blinked again. Suddenly felt ashamed at his impulsive action that could cost his team. Feeling the relaxed muscles on Hinata's back, Iwaizumi released his hold on the younger boy.

"Right, you were the one panicky to make me look what was happening." Iwaizumi countered. Iwaizumi then turned to the three nervous, second years of Shiratorizawa Volley Club. "You guys, you know what would happen if you fight."

"We don't care." The first guy said. "Since thanks to him we can never play in an official match!" The guy shouted.

What? What happened?

The second guy put his hand on the first guy's shoulder. "Let's go back." He urged his two friends to leave the scene.

Hinata's shoulders shagged as they left. He felt that there was something had happened after their graduation from Shiratorizawa. Hinata was curious, but he didn't feel the urgency to know about it.

Then he remembered about the two Seijou members.

"Ah!" Hinata spun around to face the two older guys. "Thank you so much and I am sorry for the trouble!" Hinata bowed deeply, both in gratitude and apology.

"You have to watch out. With your posture it's easier to believe that you are the attacker." Iwaizumi said.

"We really should let him hit them." Oikawa said again.

"But, why did you help me? We are enemies." Hinata wondered as he looked back and forth between Iwaizumi and Oikawa.

The Captain of Aobajousai suddenly lifted his finger and pointed it to Hinata. "I will beat Tobio-chan, again. And it will be in a match, not something like this." He challenged.

Hinata smiled, feeling much better. The tremor of his adrenalin-filled rage was dissipating. "Karasuno will go to Nationals this time."

"Oh, come on Giant-kun! You already went to Nationals two times during middle school, spare these old men some thought, will you?" Oikawa whined, which Iwaizumi rewarded with a kick.

"Don't listen to him. But really, be careful of your action." Iwaizumi nodded before dragging the protesting setter. Hinata bowed again to them.

* * *

"What happened?"

Hinata turned to Tsukishima. He didn't even realize he was spacing out. His meeting with his seniors in Shiratorizawa lasted him a lingering resentment.

"Nothing. It just, I met some people I would like to not." Hinata shrugged as he took the ball in Tsukishima's hands. "Let's warm up."

"I was telling you that the entire time." Tsukishima groused.

"Eh? Really?" Hinata's eyes widened. Since he knew how his boyfriend hated it when he didn't listen to him when he was speaking. "I was just reaaaaally focus for this match against Johzenji."

"Yeah, right, you were totally focused." The sarcasm couldn't be thicker. "But whatever. Johzenji is known as the jambore team. They are getting really noisy. Let's calm them down?"

Hinata smiled. It was Tsukishima's way of bringing his focus back to the match. Tsukishima noticed his bothered state. Yet, instead of prodding, he would usually give him space and noted Hinata's slips to conclude his boyfriend's state of mind.

They could talk later after the match was over.

* * *

Facing Wakunan was the worst. They used their opponent's block to their advantage, much to Tsukishima's annoyance. The fact that Daichi got slightly injured also ruined their rhythm. Yet, the Karasuno now was not a team that would collapse just like that. Ennoshita and Hinata's subconscious thinking to fill in the hole Daichi left brought them back to their feet.

The match between Datekou and Aoba Jousai had just finished.

Their next opponent: Aoba Jousai.

The long-awaited revenge game finally here.

**TBC**

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it guys. Review?


	11. Phone Numbers

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you for reviewing the previous chapter guys! Really appreciated them.

This chapter will contain crappy descriptions of volleyball game. I am never good with action description -_-

* * *

**PHONE NUMBERS**

They warmed up a bit by the court. Kageyama already fell into Oikawa's taunt and it was funny and annoying at the same time for Hinata.

Then, there was something different around Seijou this time. Hinata couldn't help but keeping an eye to a blonde player whom he didn't see in their previous matches.

A new player?

Hinata didn't know, but something in his gut told him he was someone they should feel worry about.

* * *

And damn they really should! The guy's movement was fast and explosive. He got the agility and strength to drive Karasuno in disarray for the unknown Seijou, which they usually took as a collected and highly ordered team.

Now, for this version of Seijou, they had to adapt. Quickly.

* * *

The second set went to Seijou. Even with the boost from Yamaguchi's serves, Seijou proved themselves to be a strong team yet again.

Since the third set started, Tanaka did a good job riling the Mad Dog up and hopefully they could score out of it. Tsukishima made use of it to his best. Good thing they could get few scores with it.

Hinata felt a new sense of pride at how Tsukishima could form and execute that plan flawlessly. It was also fueled by Sugawara who was keep saying how clever Tsukishima was. Hinata fidgeted in his place as he vehemently agreed to Sugawara's compliment. Ennoshita was tempted to face-palm.

Hinata was even excited when Tsukishima saw through Oikawa's plan to give the Mad Dog a chance to get it back from the middle blocker. The ball was out, it was expected given how riled up the Mad Dog was. His normal spikes were already strong, his riled-up spikes should be even stronger.

Hinata felt envy and awe at the strength the Mad Dog showed through this match. Oh, how Hinata wished he could spike that powerfully.

...

Wait.

He used to spike that strongly during middle school!

Dang it, people thought he had the ability to stand on the same level with Ushijima one day.

Hinata slapped his own face at the realization. How could he forget how he used to spike during middle school? If Tendou-senpai was here he would snicker at him and jab more insults than he could handle.

"Are you okay?" Sugawara asked, worried at his junior's newest antic.

* * *

Hinata finally joined the front line again and immediately Kageyama walked to him and signaled him for a quick.

Hinata shook his head.

Kageyama frowned. "Huh?" His face absolutely asked for an explanation.

"I just realized, Kageyama. It has been so long since I spiked like I used to in middle school." Hinata explained as he stared at his own hands. The last time he remembered he spiked like that was during their previous face-off with Seijou too, when he had been in the zone.

"I only spiked our quicks. And even if not, I subconsciously think it as a resting period between quicks as to not make our opponents get used to the quicks."

Kageyama's eyebrows furrowed even further. "What do you want?"

Hinata looked up to the setter. There was suddenly a childish glee lit up the taller boy's face. "Give me regular toss."

Kageyama squinted his eyes. "You better not miss it." Kageyama groused.

"Ye-Yes sir!"

As the rally started they got into positions. Kageyama looked at the other side and saw three blockers were on Hinata. Kageyama clicked his tongue, it was really a big gamble but the taller boy looked so confident. Even now, he looked positively hyped about spiking a regular toss. Kageyama braced himself and tossed the desired toss to Hinata.

* * *

Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi and Kyoutani. The setter then stared forward toward Tobio and Giant-kun. Oikawa smirked, he could read them like an open book. They would not use their quick.

"Block Giant-kun." Oikawa said lowly to Kyoutani. The junior for once nodded.

And as expected, Kageyama tossed to Hinata.

Oikawa smiled as his prediction was proven right. Tobio gave Giant-kun a regular toss. Yet, his smile faltered at the same time his eyes widening as he saw Giant-kun's posture mid-air. Oikawa was far too familiar with Ushiwaka's spiking posture to know that the spike would be powerful. He dived forward to receive it but it was too late. The strawberry-blond boy spiked the ball and it broke through their block. Kyoutani cursed under his breath as he stumbled back a few steps after he landed.

* * *

Like a puppy given a treat, Hinata jumped high and spiked the ball like he used to during middle school. His power, all surging forward in a familiar wave. Hinata smiled openly as he saw the ball blasted Kyoutani's hand away and lurched rapidly toward the court floor, giving him the satisfying boom he missed so dearly.

The moment he landed, Hinata roared. "THAT FELT SOOOO GOOD!"

Tanaka and Nishinoya joined him. Even Kageyama complimented him, with a weird face.

Tsukishima blushed as Sugawara kept saying how strong Hinata was.

* * *

Oikawa watched in both awe and dread the way the ball busted their blockers' hands and fell with a boom on the court. He turned toward Hinata who was celebrating it with the other Karasunos.

Oikawa felt déjà washed over him. He remembered how the boy was in the zone. The force he used just then was still below what he had during in the zone, but still too powerful for average blocks.

And looking at how hyper and energetic Giant-kun was after releasing that kind of power, Oikawa afraid that it was not a one-time thing.

"So, he can spike like that, huh? A new move?" Iwaizumi commented.

"No, it is not." Kindaichi said. Oikawa turned to the junior and raised his eyebrows at the apprehensive smile he wore.

"Oh, really?" Oikawa tilted his head.

Kindaichi nodded. "I, Kageyama, and Kunimi know him the most during middle school. His play changed with the quick he and Kageyama developed. But, that spike, was how he used to play. It was the Shiratorizawa's Hinata Shouyou I know."

Oikawa watched from afar to the grinning Hinata. Resentment suddenly emerged in his heart. That kind of talent, the one defied well-thought strategy, really annoyed him. Just like with Ushiwaka.

* * *

Three times in a row Hinata scored with his spikes. One time they blocked his straight which Hinata spiked a cross instead, and the next time it was the other way around. Just like how Oikawa boasted with Kyoutani, Hinata's spikes were not something they could easily receive without it touching a block. It seemed like Giant-kun knew that, and damn his mid-air aiming ability.

Oikawa felt that the vein in his forehead is going to explode. Annoyance was clear on his face that even Kyoutani turned considerably docile.

With that bright attitude, people always forgot what a formidable opponent he actually was.

Oikawa took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. He should keep his head cool or else their moves would fall into disorder.

Oikawa turned to his teammates and was about to say to keep their calm but the thoughtful face of Iwaizumi distracted him. "What is it, Iwa-chan?"

Iwaizumi looked up at him. "With his aim and power, don't you wonder why he doesn't do jump serve?"

Oikawa blinked, because it was true. Player who had reached Hinata's level of power and aiming ability would try practicing jump serve. He should have been able to do jump serve long time ago, Oikawa reckoned. But, Giant-kun never tried to do jump serve even once in all Karasuno's matches. Even Karasuno's ace did jump serve now, though a few of them were out, he was getting there.

"Well, we are lucky that he doesn't do jump serve then." Oikawa grinned. But Iwaizumi knew that Oikawa was anxious with the possibility that Hinata still had some arsenal up his sleeves.

* * *

At one point, Kyoutani was far too riled up and had to be substituted. Kunimi entered the court back. Hinata looked at the angered Seijou and felt his raging excitement drained as well. The motivation was thinned and so he said to Kageyama to start using their quicks again, it was stamina-efficient anyway. Kageyama nodded before looking at Kunimi. At least Kunimi wasn't as unknown as the number 16.

* * *

Karasuno won!

Everyone celebrated it. They all felt that the burden from their previous defeat was suddenly lifted. Even Tsukishima smiled to himself.

Kageyama's smile faltered slightly at the hunched back of Kindaichi's in the other side of the court. Oikawa ruffled his turnip-like hair and the junior bowed, seemingly apologizing for something he didn't do.

After all the things happened between them, it still gave Kageyama a bitter taste seeing Kindaichi like that. So, when the team thanked each other, his eyes trailed to Kindaichi's form that walked away from his team. Kageyama looked back to his own team. They were packing up to give the space for the next team. Kageyama spotted Daichi and approached the captain.

* * *

Kageyama jogged in the hallway of the stadium. He was sure that he saw Kindaichi went that way. He spotted the black haired boy outside the gym, sitting on a stair, facing away.

Kageyama approached him quietly. He made sure that Kindaichi wouldn't hear him, in case he suddenly got cold feet about cheering him up.

"Congratulation." Kindaichi spoke up and Kageyama literally flinched.

"Thanks." Kageyama replied.

There was a thick silence surround them after that. Neither said anything. Kageyama didn't know what to say, hell, how did he even think about cheering Kindaichi up? He was never good with words.

"Win. For my senpais' sake too." Kindaichi said shortly. He didn't look at Kageyama even once. His regret, guilt, and resentment were so thick that he actually didn't welcome Kageyama's presence, someone who had cut his seniors path to nationals.

It was selfish of him to get irritated to Kageyama over this. It was also very unsportsmanlike.

"It's not your fault." Kageyama said. He knew Kindaichi partly blamed himself for Seijou's defeat. How he thought he didn't do his one hundred percent of his power and was still hesitant here and there during the match.

Kindaichi sighed but didn't say anything. Kageyama really wished he could just sit there, beside Kindaichi and put his hand on the taller boy's shoulder and squeeze it gently to reassure him. Like the old times.

"By the way," Kageyama didn't know whether it was a good time to bring it up or not, but he wanted some kind of diversion. "I have a new mobile number."

Kindaichi blinked and turned back to see Kageyama. That explained his failed-to-send message.

"Oh." Kindaichi responded. His mind was suddenly blank that he didn't know what to say.

The silence fell again. The longer it dragged on, the more choked Kageyama felt. Kindaichi didn't even ask about his new number. Had he become that insignificant to Kindaichi?

Kageyama couldn't stand it anymore. He nodded to Kindaichi and walked away.

Kindaichi's eyes widened. His mind was blank but his heart told him that he had done something he would regret later. He stood up quickly and walked to Kageyama.

"Wait!" Kindaichi grabbed Kageyama's forearm. The setter didn't turn to him so Kindaichi was positive he had done something to upset Kageyama. His brain was hectically looking for something, and fortunately he found something very good.

"Can I have your number?" Kindaichi spluttered. Kageyama turned and his face lit up. Kindaichi sighed mentally, jackpot.

"Yes, of course." Kageyama smiled thinly and took out his phone from his jersey jacket. He pressed some buttons and put the earpiece to his ear.

Kindaichi tilted his head to the side. "What are you doing?"

"I am calling your number." Kageyama said. "You are not shutting it off anymore, are you?" Kageyama joked.

But Kindaichi could only feel his blood ran faster. Cold realization dawned on him. Kageyama didn't know his number after they parted in high school. How would he tell Kageyama that he changed number too, long before that, without telling him.

Kageyama's face fell slowly as the operator's automatic message reached him, told him that the number was not active anymore.

Kageyama stared long to Kindaichi who was quietly flustered.

"Since when?" Kageyama asked. His voice was quiet and firm. He knew he was no one to Kindaichi now, so it wasn't his place to feel upset that Kindaichi didn't tell him his number, cutting of their communication.

Kindaichi could lie. Oh it was very easy to lie. But, it would be worse once Kageyama knew about it. Kindaichi knew Kageyama and Iwaizumi were still in speaking term and if the setter was to ask the senior about when Kindaichi changed his number, he was afraid the damage would be amendable.

"Since you cut off all our ways for communication." Kindaichi looked down to Kageyama's slightly trembling hands.

Kageyama nodded. He understood. Kindaichi might be the one drew the clear line about their break up, but Kageyama was the root of it. He was the one who destroyed their relationship.

Kageyama looked down, his bang obscure Kindaichi's sight of his face. His lips are trembling but he wouldn't cry. It hurt to know Kindaichi had been mad at him that much to the point of not wanting to have any communication with him anymore. So, if that what the taller boy wanted, who was he to still want for more with their relationship.

Kageyama felt pathetic. He had given up about them since Kindaichi broke up with him, but why did he still feel hurt?

"Do-" Kageyama paused when he heard his choked voice. "Do you still want my number?" He tried again.

Kindaichi felt very stupid now. He didn't know what to do. It was clear that Kageyama was upset, Kageyama wanted to cry, because of him. And that made him felt like an asshole. The hand that gripped Kageyama's phone was trembling more now. The way the smaller boy bowed to avoid his gaze pierced his heart.

"Kageyama..." Kindaichi trailed. Kageyama had changed. He should get angry instead! Yelled at him! That would make Kindaichi felt better about this whole ordeal. But he became submissively upset instead. Kindaichi wanted to apologize. He had to, before it was too late. Hell, Kindaichi didn't know whether it was too late or not.

"Everyone is waiting for me." Kageyama shied away when Kindaichi wanted to hold his other forearm.

"No, listen to me." Kindaichi didn't give up. He took the setter's upper arm instead. He maneuvered the smaller boy to face him but Kageyama looked down. Kindaichi peered at his face but their height difference made it difficult unless he squatted before Kageyama. And if he was to squat, by the time he squat Kageyama might run away, or squat as well to avoid his gaze.

"I have to go." Kageyama finally looked up. He didn't cry, for that Kindaichi was grateful. But he could clearly see the beginning of tear pooling in his eyes. The smaller boy struggled slowly to get free of his holds.

Kindaichi's heart lurched forward. He really hated seeing Kageyama like this. He also hated how he was the one made him like this.

"I regret it!" Kindaichi blurted. Kageyama ceased his struggle but he looked down again. "I regret it, Tobio!"

His calling of Kageyama's given name was unexpected. They stopped calling each other with their given name after they lost contact. Yuuta and Tobio had once again become Kindaichi and Kageyama.

Kindaichi surprised himself with that. The name rolled from his tongue felt alien but not unpleasant. But he shoved that thinking aside, his focus was the upset boy before him.

"Me too." Kageyama said. "I regret it too, blocking you out." Kageyama trembled as he looked anywhere else and started struggling again, harder this time. "I have to go to meet my team now."

Kindaichi wouldn't let Kageyama away yet, this was the time they could clear out everything. Kindaichi gripped Kageyama's upper arm harder, but he made sure not to hurt the setter. He opened his mouth to say something but suddenly a strong hand gripped Kindaichi's wrist which hand he used to grip Kageyama's upper arm.

They turned to the person and their bloods turned cold as the Super Ace Ushijima Wakatoshi stared down at Kindaichi.

The Shiratorizawa turned to Kageyama. "I congratulated Shouyou but you weren't there." Ushijima said as if that explained his appearance there with them. He then slowly release Kindaichi's grip to Kageyama's upper arm. Kindaichi felt offended but there was something about the usually calm spiker that stopped him from retorting.

Kageyama felt it. That aura, the one around Hinata when the boy was in his predatory mood. This time, with Ushijima, it was thicker, but more controlled.

Ushijima then turned to Kindaichi. His gaze was neutral and firm, like usual. "Do you have your phone?"

"Eh?" Kindaichi blinked. It was too random.

"I will give you his number." Ushijima stated. He then turned to Kageyama. "Is that okay with you?"

"You remember my number?" Kageyama asked as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jersey. "Dust." He said.

"I remember. There is only one different digit between our numbers."

"Eh?" Kageyama looked up, all red nosed.

Kindaichi really want to hit someone now. How could they have almost twin numbers?

"My previous number had been leaked. Flirt and threat massages came in and when I replaced your phone I thought it was the right time to change my number too." Ushijima explained.

Ushijima faced Kindaichi again. "So, do you still want his number?"

Kindaichi was silent. He regarded Ushijima with clear dislike. He then turned to Kageyama, who looked lost of what to do. The setter was never good with drama.

Kindaichi's eyes turned determined and smiled determinedly at Kageyama.

"Maybe next time." Kindaichi nodded and sprinted away.

Kageyama should have been disappointed that Kindaichi refused to know his number. But, something in Kindaichi's smile before that strangely assured him that this wasn't the end.

They were not completely finished.

* * *

"How do you know he asked for my number?" Kageyama asked as they walked to the stadium.

"I was standing close for quite a long time. I heard your conversation." Ushijima said. "Sorry to eavesdrop, but it seemed like he was hurting you."

Kageyama frowned as he mumbled thanks. It didn't change the fact that Ushijima invaded his privacy. And how could they become that focus to each other that they didn't realize Ushijima was watching them?

"Why do you care?" Kageyama asked again.

"If you see what I saw, you would do the same." Ushijima said. "Besides, Shouyou asked me to _take care of you_. I don't understand what does that mean."

Kageyama stopped in his track. Annoyance started to build up. That big, lump of sorry excuse of a middle blocker misunderstood them that much.

"Please don't mind him. He misunderstood us."

"I don't mind. People might pass you as my younger brother if they don't know. So, taking care of you kind of comes naturally." Ushijima smiled thinly. Kageyama suddenly related his and Ushijima's relationship to Kuroo, Bokutou, and Tsukishima. How those two seniors took in Tsukishima and took care of him during individual practice. It was in different context, but similar.

"But let's not get this chummy until the final." Ushijima added.

Kageyama suddenly remembered, yes, the next time they meet would be on the final court.

"Yes!" Kageyama nodded respectfully.

**TBC**

* * *

Thanks for reading! Review?


	12. It Began

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you so much for keep reading this fic and also for your support and reviews. Thank you! Here is an update and hope you like it guys. It's quite long, though.

* * *

**IT BEGAN**

Takeda peered to the side where Ukai was walking beside him. Usually, the Coach would have been chattering about how their team had performed, pointing out mistakes and development plans. But, the Coach looked deep in thought that Takeda was hesitant to even ask him. Yet, his curiosity won.

"Is there any problem, Ukai-kun?" Takeda finally asked.

"Ah, nothing in particular, but..." He trailed. "Tomorrow will be difficult."

Takeda smiled. "Well, it's final game we are talking about. Shiratorizawa is a well known team."

"That's aside, our boys' stamina could be a problem too." Ukai elaborated. "Final game consists of five rounds. Besides Hinata, none of them had been in final games."

Takeda's smile faltered but didn't completely fall. "I recalled these guys endured all the consecutive punishments during our training camp." Takeda's smile got even bigger than before. "I believe they got more than enough energy to endure five rounded game."

"Ah." Ukai's face visibly brightened up. "Ahaha! Sensei, you are right!" Ukai was so relieved that he slapped Takeda's back too hard and made the man stumbled forward.

Takeda adjusted his glasses and was actually beaming proudly of their team. They had done everything they could to reach where they were right then. The only thing they could do now was trusting them that they would do their best in tomorrow's game.

"Actually, Sensei, I was curious about Hinata and got footage from my friend where he played during his first year in middle school." Ukai started. "And he was veeeeery short. You will not believe it was him." Ukai's face contorted in surprise and disbelief until it transformed back to his serious face. "He did jump-serves."

"Oh, that's great!" Takeda nodded enthusiastically. "But, I've never seen him jump serving." Takeda blinked in realization.

"Exactly." Ukai went back to his serious thinking. "He could jump serve, what changed?"

* * *

Their meeting was short. Ukai only mentioned which part of their play they need to strengthen and which they need to keep as it was. Seeing how focus and serious all of them were, Ukai felt a swell of honor at how he was given the chance to work with these boys.

"By the way, Hinata, don't you have anything to say about Shiratorizawa?" Takeda suddenly asked. Ukai caught what he was after and his interest peaked instantly.

Hinata blinked at the sudden address to himself. He seemed to recalling something before opening his mouth. "Most of the problems will be coming from Ushijima-san and Tendou-san, I guess. And, None of the second years I know is in the starting lineup. Not even in the bench. So, I guess their second years now are stronger."

"Can you tell us what to expect from Ushijima and Tendou?" Daichi asked.

"Ushijima-san's strength and his spiking sense and ability is the best in Miyagi, I can say that. While Tendou-san..." Hinata trailed. "You can imagine Kuroo-san's blocking combined with Grand King's devious thinking... and Kei's taunt." Hinata hesitantly added the last part. Tsukishima glowered slightly. Why everyone set him as the standard of bad personality?

"Woah, that's nasty." Tanaka commented. Asahi visibly paled beside him.

Ukai nodded. "Well, it's not like we are not prepared for it. The fact that you guys reach this far means you are ready to take Shiratorizawa on. Rest well and do your best tomorrow!" Ukai ended his speech which was replied with loud battle yell from the students. "You are dismissed. Except Hinata. I would like you to stay."

Hinata was surprised to be suddenly instructed to stay, but he stayed nonetheless. The other boys looked back and forth between Hinata and their Coach until Daichi called them to pack up. They packed slowly after, still curious about why their Coach asked for Hinata to stay.

"May I stay too?" Kageyama boldly asked.

"Huh?" Ukai questioned.

"He is my partner in court. If there is something concerning him I think it's better if I know it too."

Ukai shook his head. "It's not like that. It's more like a solo play." Ukai explained.

And as if on cue, Hinata understood what Ukai was talking about.

"Kageyama, it's alright. There is nothing you can do about it anyway." Hinata nodded to the shorter boy. Kageyama visibly displeased about it but didn't insist. He bowed slightly to Ukai and turned away to pack up.

* * *

"Oi, you are okay with it?" Kageyama murmured lowly while zipping his bag. Tsukishima was in front of him. Thankfully their seniors were walking out of the gym already.

"Of course not." Tsukishima said as he picked his water bottle up and proceeded to walk out of the gym.

Kageyama looked up through his bangs. Tsukishima appeared usual but there was something about his overly nonchalant attitude that felt suspicious. As if he was acting it out.

That blonde was about to do something.

* * *

"Why do you stop doing jump serve, Hinata?" Ukai asked, straight to the point.

Hinata tensed, his shoulders squared. He expected that question but facing it now was a whole different story.

"My thigh muscle was damaged before, because I was doing jump serve marathon. It took me six months to heal." Hinata shortly answered. "After that, I just can't."

Ukai narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Was your muscle healed not completely?"

Hinata shook his head as he scratched the back of his head. "It's healed completely. The clinic released my result and it was completely healed. There won't be any problem with it, unless I make a new damage." Hinata shrugged. Nervousness was clear in his eyes.

"Then why?"

Hinata fidgeted in his place. It was comical considering his intimidating height to most people.

"I can show you. May I?" Hinata asked.

"Of course." Ukai quickly permitted. If Hinata was more comfortable with showing him rather than with words, he was okay with that. It was even better, he could see Hinata's potential and his actual problem with jump serving.

Hinata jogged to take a ball from the box. He went to the serving spot and exhaled loudly to calm his nerves. He stared to Ukai for a clue.

Ukai took his whistle, which was dangling by his neck, and blew it once.

Hinata threw the ball high and ran for a jump.

Ukai's eyes widened slightly. It was incredible how tall Hinata could jump with all his muscle mass.

Hinata's eyes glued to the ball, but the moment he swung his arm, he looked panic. The boy looked down to the floor with wide eyes, as if scared that he wouldn't land safely. He suddenly forgot about the ball and his focus was on the floor. When his feet reached the floor, his panic disappeared. It was replaced with a horrible disappointment. The ball fell freely beside him. The echo was deafening, a reminder of his fault.

Ukai's mouth opened slightly. He understood now. And he felt angry to himself for not noticing it sooner. It was not something they could fix within hours.

It was a trauma.

* * *

Tsukishima gripped the bars tightly seeing the slight hurt in Hinata's eyes. He knew the story and it was an easy guess where Hinata got that trauma. He prayed that their Coach wouldn't ask Hinata to try jump serving again.

He was standing on a barrel. He didn't know how it was there but he was grateful since his stand was much dignified than the senior setter beside him, who was standing on the crouching Captain. Beside their lovely Vice Captain was Nishinoya, who was sitting on Tanaka's shoulders. Kageyama looked comfortable enough despite the fact that he was standing on another crouching senior, the team Ace. It was his idea to _take a look_ of Hinata and Ukai but apparently all of them had the same idea.

"How is it, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi whispered harshly.

Tsukishima didn't know how to say it. He preferred to not saying it actually. Seeing Hinata's slumped form was enough, he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud what happened to Hinata.

"Is Hinata-kun okay?" Yachi asked beside Yamaguchi.

All of them, the ones who were seeing, got the similar questions from those who weren't. Sugawara murmured something to Shimizu, just like Nishinoya to Ennoshita and the rest of the second years. Tsukishima was grateful that for once Nishinoya wasn't being loud.

"Ah! He is coming out!" Kageyama alerted quickly before hopping off from Asahi's back. The former helped the latter to stand on his feet again. They all quickly got on their feet and sprinted to the school gate.

When they reached the gate they stopped. They had already planned to make it look like they were waiting for Hinata. "Alright, everyone, act natural." Sugawara said as he dusted Daichi's jacket where he was standing on before.

Hinata was surprised when he reached the gate and found his teammates were there. He thought that they would have long gone. He adjusted his bag. "Err, what are you guys doing?"

"Yo, Hinata!" Tanaka greeted, his face contorted into an awkward smile. Too enthusiastic to be natural that the tallest boy flinched.

"O-ossu." Hinata waved his hand.

"W-we... We are looking at the birds!" Yachi suddenly spun and pointed at the clear afternoon sky.

Hinata sweatdropped as he unconsciously looked up where Yachi pointed. There were no birds.

Catching Hinata's skeptics, Nishinoya came to Yachi's help. "Oh right! There were sooo many birds!" Nishinoya added. "Biology observation, you know!"

"Right! Ha ha ha ha!" Tanaka laughed, too loudly.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Nishinoya joined.

Sugawara felt like face-palming but it was partly his fault for not greeting Hinata the first. It was also a mistake for telling them to _act natural_ which backfired him since they went overly self-conscious.

"Well, since you are here too. Let's just go home." Daichi suddenly said. Disregarding the three laughing Karasuno. His eyes met Hinata's in a gentle manner. Sugawara sighed mentally at the silent support Daichi showed. They knew Hinata needed some kind of support from them, a hidden one since Hinata thought they didn't know about his jump-serve problem.

"Alright, let's go." Ennoshita clapped his hands twice to pull Tanaka, Yachi, and Nishinoya from their false hype.

They all walked away and Hinata stayed behind, looking at their backs. Those backs that supported the team up until now. His encounter back there in the gym brought back both bad memory and his fault as a volleyball player. Hinata wasn't someone who would sulk, he was someone who would bury his problem for himself. If he was lucky he could solve the problem. Thus, seeing those backs kind of reassured him that all would be okay.

Hinata blinked when suddenly a hand slipped into his own. Thinner fingers entwined with his. He looked to the side where Tsukishima was adjusting his glasses, mainly to hide his blush. The shorter boy tugged slightly at his hand and Hinata grinned before leading their walk, bringing Tsukishima with him.

* * *

They could hear it already. They were still in the corridor, walking towards the main court, and they could hear how the stadium was already filled with Shiratorizawa cheering squad. At one point Hinata even sang along quietly as he heard vaguely the school anthem. Yet, he shut up quickly when Kageyama shot him a glare. Kageyama didn't stop staring after that, though. He wondered how Hinata could be this relaxed while he was minutes away facing his old school team. Facing his _senpai_.

When they entered the court, it was expected. One side of the stadium entirely filled with people in Shiratorizawa uniforms. They heeded them no attention as they immediately prepared themselves.

Daichi noticed that suddenly the cheering got quieted a little. He was curious as there were suddenly hushed voices here and there between the cheering squad. He looked toward them and saw how some of them secretly conversed and pointed at one particular direction. He followed their pointing fingers and it was zeroed to Hinata.

_"That's him! Hinata Shouyou."_

_"He was the Ace from last year in our middle school team, right?"_

_"He is Ushijima's kouhai. No way is he going to win against Ushijima."_

Daichi stared at Hinata. The boy didn't show any signs of discomfort by their commentary. Daichi just hoped it wasn't an act.

The stadium came to life again when Shiratorizawa team entered the court. They all turned to regard their opponent. Just by looking at them they could feel the strong air around them.

They lined up after their warm-up. Daichi faced Ushijima, in person for the first time and his presence alone was overwhelming. He wondered whether Ushijima was aware of it or not, but either way, he needed to focus on the game or they would pull the carpet under his feet instantly.

He was completely different, well, not that different, but Ushijima's strong presence was even stronger now on court as their opponent. At least that was what Kageyama thought. No more flat yet straightforward care in those eyes. There was only strength and focus.

On the other side, Shirabu, who had never met Hinata in person before, could feel there was something intimidating underneath that docile appearance of the junior. He peered around his teammates but apparently it was only him that felt it. He just hoped it was some kind of sudden paranoia.

* * *

The several first spikes were unbearable. Not only his strength, but Ushijima's left-handed trait was also a trouble. Annoying as it was but they needed to come up with something soon.

* * *

Tsukishima knew he was an average guy. But hearing someone pointed that out right in his face burnt his fuse faster than Kageyama's stupid argument. So, after Tendou, who was really annoying just like Hinata described, said that it was boring having an average guy like him to fight, Tsukishima's mission was killing Tendou's spike, the very first spike he would give him.

And killing the spike what Tsukishima did.

Tendou rewarded him by calling him the most annoying first year of Karasuno. The third year then faced Hinata while pointing to Tsukishima.

"This? I don't approve!" Tendou yelled which got him a "You are too noisy." from Ushijima.

Tsukishima petrified on his spot at that. He spun to look at Hinata who was blushing but just as clueless as him.

* * *

Zone.

Kageyama had seen Hinata in the zone and it was... Intense. To be frank, he had never fought a spiker who was in the zone. Hinata never entered the zone when he played Kitagawa Daiichi, thus Kageyama had no idea how overwhelming was it.

And now he experienced it first handedly. It was crazy. Ushijima's spiking accuracy and power increased. His movement got more efficient since he was extremely focused on only scoring.

They were all in disarray, even Hinata. And that somehow affected the team.

* * *

Tsukishima knew they were in a very bad predicament if they could not stop Ushijima's scoring frenzy. They had to. And luckily, he got an idea.

So Tsukishima waited. He waited until Shiratorizawa's setter made a rushed toss to keep up with Ushijima's movement.

And when it came, he blocked the Super Ace's spike with a satisfying boom on Shiratorizawa's side. It was surprising to every person witnessing it.

Everyone in the team hollered in awe. They didn't expect for Tsukishima, that unmotivated Tsukishima, to be actually try his hardest to block Ushijima. Hinata who was out at the moment needed to be held down by Yamaguchi, Ennoshita, and Sugawara to stop him from jumping the blonde middle blocker.

Ushijima got distracted so much by the block that he went out of his zone.

* * *

The third set finish with Shiratorizawa's victory. By then, Shiratorizawa had won two of the sets. They needed to get the fourth set if they wanted to advance to the nationals. Hinata drunk from the water bottle that Shimizu gave him. He looked to Kageyama from the tail of his eyes. He observed his body language for exhaustion. Because it was always, always setter who got drained first during a five-rounded games. The opponent's setter seemed used to five-rounded games so he fared better.

"Did you just check Kageyama out?" Tsukishima asked with a playful glare. The blonde knew that Hinata was only worried about Kageyama but he couldn't help but tease his boyfriend.

"Eww." Hinata's face was nothing but flat out scandalized.

* * *

Daichi was so happy that Tsukishima and Kageyama worked together for the block. Those two were like oil and water, impossible to mix. But, seeing them jump, and collided, to form a very solid and successful block, Daichi felt like a proud father right then. Even though it was in a fleeting moment, since they started bickering about the collision.

"Hey, could you not pointlessly collide with me? You are not Hinata, you know?" Tsukishima grumbled. It was true that he and Hinata once collided to form a block in a three-on-three game. But with Hinata's build the collision wasn't as propulsive, and the taller boy gripped his upper arm to steady him on his feet the moment they landed.

"Huh? You just haven't trained enough!" Kageyama retorted. He then suddenly blinked. "Wait, so it's okay if it was Hinata?"

"Huh? Where did that come from?" Tsukishima frowned.

"Oh yes, of course it's okay. You will be totally okay for Hinata to _jump_ to _you_." Kageyama grinned and right at that moment Tsukishima shot his arm in a karate chop imitation. Kageyama wasn't as clueless about something like that as people think he was.

Tanaka went between them before the referee caught their petty fight.

* * *

It came again. Ushijima entered the zone again. Everyone felt the tension, even the Super Ace own teammates. But the pressure they felt was completely different.

Kageyama fidgeted in his seat. He wanted to get out there on the court but Ukai didn't let him yet. Please, please hang in there everyone.

And as if the Goddess of Fortune really left them, Tsukishima got injured.

Hinata stepped forward but Sugawara's firm hand stopped him. The taller boy understood and only watched from his spot. Yamaguchi wasn't taking it better, he looked a little bit panic.

"He will be okay." Hinata assured him. Yamaguchi nodded but didn't look up at him. "We just need to buy him time until he is back."

Hinata stared at the back of Tsukishima's. It was tensed. But there was also confidence. The blonde believed that the moment he was back to the court, the team was still waiting for him, fighting.

Hinata smiled slightly. Tsukishima grew so much since the first day of their high school. If Tsukishima had that burning desire to win, how could he not fuel his own desire?

Hinata closed his eyes. It was his chance. He had a talk with Tsukishima's cousin about the zone. Kagami said, that he had to eliminate all distracting thoughts from his head and his mind should be clear except for his goal and the sport he loved so much.

It was embarrassing. But, lately he found out what his distraction was that prevented him get into the zone.

It was Kei.

Hinata snorted. He really needed to work that out before Tsukishima knew it.

Inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Hinata felt his body went relaxed. His sense sharpened. And his brain only focused on one thing, bringing his team to victory.

* * *

Shirabu felt like all the burden was lifted off from his shoulders. With the glasses boy, Hinata, and Kageyama out, Karasuno's offense and defense were lowered. Their Ace and the monk-like wing spikers still scored, but with less attack variations, it was easy for Tendou to guess where to block. Karasuno's libero and Captain were still a pain in the ass, though.

With the last score from Ushijima, who was still in the zone, Karasuno's players rotated again.

He turned away from his opponent to look at his team, only to see that Goshiki suddenly looked apprehensive. Shirabu was about to ask him but he felt it the instant Hinata stepped into the court. The pressure of a predator. Suddenly his shoulders felt like the burden was there again.

The rest of the Karasuno seemed feeling it too. Just like with Ushijima, both teams felt the pressure, but they perceived it differently.

Goshiki turned to their old Coach and mouthed, "He is in the zone."

* * *

Annoying.

Ushijima looked up as once again as he failed to defend their side of the court from Hinata's spike. Without Kageyama, the first year only received normal toss and thus he spiked normally. Ushijima knew his junior had above average power and exceptional aiming ability, but with the boy in the zone, it was getting even more difficult to receive his spike without block. And Hinata made sure to aim the weakest area of their blocks.

Hinata was interesting to have around as a teammate. But, as an enemy, he is irritating.

* * *

It reached the time where Hinata served. Takeda turned to Ukai but the Coach didn't make a move to switch Hinata with their pinch server. Instead, the Coach looked serious and tensed toward Hinata who was given the ball to serve. Takeda didn't say anything. If Ukai thought it was the right thing to let Hinata serve, than he would follow.

Hinata was in the zone. So maybe... Maybe he could do _that_.

* * *

Hinata hit the ball a few times to get the feel. He got into position and wait for the whistle.

He didn't think. He let his instinct and his body to do what his mind was focusing to, bringing his team to victory.

The whistle was blown and Hinata threw the ball high.

Kageyama mouth Gaped slightly as he realized how Hinata would serve this one,

Hinata sprinted and jumped high. His reach was even higher than his normal spike with the sprint to boost his jump. His view to the other side of the net was much clearer without blocks and people moving around. He saw it how Goshiki's eyes went wide. It must be the first time he saw Hinata jump-serving after his injury.

_I developed it in Shiratorizawa. It destroyed in Shiratorizawa. And now, I give it back to Shiratorizawa._

* * *

The serve was steep. The steepest they had ever encountered. The ball fell hard in the front zone, where liberos rarely guard. Average receivers wouldn't be able to save that powerful serve cleanly.

Ushijima frowned. That steep service almost impossible to do but with Hinata's high jump and high impact point, it was implementable to hit a serve that steep. It even almost touched the net line. He could hear their Coaches talking about there were no data about Hinata's jump-serve. Ushijima turned to the celebrating Karasunos.

Hinata really grew and he was glad that the boy had good seniors now. But, it would be Shiratorizawa who would advance to the nationals.

* * *

After a lot of running and forcing their legs to save the ball, Karasuno won the game.

The whole stadium got quiet, since more than half of it expected Shiratorizawa to win this match. Karasuno's side went alive but the members below were too busy celebrating by themselves.

Shiratorizawa younger Coach collected them all but Ushijima stared straight to Hinata. The said junior turned to him and stared back between the holes of the net.

Did Oikawa feel like this too when he faced Kageyama after Aoba Jousai's defeat?

"You are doing well, Shouyou."

"Thanks." Hinata bowed slightly

"I am sorry to hear what happened after we left. I should have noticed their envy and said something." Ushijima seriously regretted for his obliviousness over his juniors' envious thinking toward Hinata.

Hinata smiled as he shook his head. "It's not your fault, Ushijima-san. Besides, I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't experience that." Because without what had happened, Hinata wouldn't change school. He wouldn't be able to prove himself to his senpai.

Ushijima nodded as he turned and walked away towards his team.

"Ah, say my regards to your Glasses First Year." Ushijima added quickly.

"Yosh!" Hinata bowed. He then blinked as he realized Ushijima just refer Tsukishima as _your_ Glasses First year. Before, Tendou also implied that he knew about him and Tsukishima. But, how did they know?

* * *

"Eat as much as you like!" Ukai announced as all the delicious food was served on the low table.

Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Hinata didn't waste any time to dive into the food. The smell had been seducing their stomach since the first step they took inside the restaurant. And with the hard-earned victory they had grabbed, the food tasted so much tastier.

Sugawara kept adding food on the little portion on Tsukishima's bowl. Hinata and Kageyama had a silent competition of who could eat the most meat. Yamaguchi chocked and Tsukishima lazily slapped his back slowly to help him, Yachi dutifully gave him a glass of water.

Ukai smiled, felt very proud and happy for those kids. He felt grateful that he continued coaching them after the practice match with Nekoma. He should properly thank Takeda-sensei later.

Thirty minutes later, they all dozed off. The fatigue finally caught up and with full stomach, sleep claimed them easily.

* * *

_Tsukishima blinked hard as he saw his surroundings. He was aware that he was dreaming. Something about this dream felt different. He looked around once again to the walls around him. They were painted with moving universe. That was amazing yet giving him weak legs._

_Then suddenly there was a mirror, a very large mirror that took height of the room. He saw his reflection in the mirror. Tsukishima observed his reflection, something about it that felt different._

_He approached the mirror and touched the fingers of his reflection. When suddenly he felt like he was being pulled to the mirror. He looked how his fingers little by little fused with his reflection._

_He looked up to his reflection and his heart stopped beating. Terror filled his entire dream self when the reflection didn't follow his movement. His reflection was still observing their joining finger._

_Tsukishima panicky looked at their fingers and felt that the pull was getting stronger, the mirror wanted to get him to the other side._

_Finally his reflection looked up at him, staring straight to his eyes. Tsukishima's eyes widened at the soundless words that he caught from his reflection's lips._

_"You are my other self." His reflection mouthed._

**TBC**

Thank you so much for reading! Review?


	13. Struggle

Thank you sooooo much for the reviews you guys gave for the previous chapter. Btw, this chapter contains heavily sappy HinaTsukki. OOCness may occur too.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

**STRUGGLE**

Tsukishima woke up with a gasp. His breath was quick. His eyes unfocused. His brain was frantically grasping what was happening to him. His hands cold as his heart beat faster.

He vaguely heard Takeda-sensei's and Coach Ukai's voices, asking him if he was alright. He looked up to the two adults, trying to figure out whether he had really switched back to his home universe or not.

Tsukishima shook his head. No, he couldn't differ the universes with them. They were both same with his home universe. He looked to his right where Yamaguchi was still sleeping, head on the table. But still no, he couldn't determine where he was then with Yamaguchi as well.

He looked to the right and his heart beat faster. That strawberry blond hair was facing him. Hinata faced away, his head was on the table, sleeping, just like Yamaguchi.

Tsukishima's trembling hand rested on Hinata's back. He was the only difference with what he had in his original universe.

Tsukishima didn't know what he want. But to be honest. He didn't want to go home.

Tsukishima pushed Hinata and made him sit. Hinata with sleepy face blinked his eyes open and stared down at Tsukishima with question all over his face.

Tsukishima stared up at Hinata's sleepy face.

Tsukishima _looked up_.

The blonde released a shuddering breath in relief as he slumped against Hinata. The taller boy held him, simply because he was sleepy and exhaustion still fresh lingered in his body. Hinata proceeded to sleep again on the table, with Tsukishima resting his head on top of Hinata's back.

Takeda looked back and forth between Ukai and the two boys.

"What was that?" Ukai muttered, cigarette forgotten between his fingers.

* * *

The next day came without a sleep for Tsukishima, which his body really needed after the vigorous match against Shiratorizawa.

It wasn't like he couldn't sleep. The exhaustion would had easily dragged him to slumber, but everytime he drifted off, he jerked awake with a sudden dread of finding himself swapped back to his original universe. Several times this happened, Tsukishima gave up sleeping and playing games instead.

He felt aweful in the morning. But, he felt a sense of relief. Like he just had undergone a heavy obstacle and came out of it in one piece. Because truth to be told, Tsukishima wasn't sure whether he would still be here the next time he woke up from his sleep.

Maybe... Maybe if he ditched sleep, he could stay here forever?

Tsukishima shook his head. The lack of sleep started to affect his thinking, he thought.

But, could it be possible? How many days a human could survive without sleep?

* * *

"Woah, Tsukki, are you okay?" Yamaguchi immediately asked him as he saw how pale Tsukishima was even from afar.

"Yeah. I am okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you are sure?"

"Yamaguchi." Tsukishima warned. His head got light headed the more he talked.

"Err, sorry." Yamaguchi said before taking his phone out.

"Don't you dare give any stupid ideas to Shouyou."

"N-No!"

"You totally wanted to tell him about my lack of sleep."

Yamaguchi blinked. Honestly, he wanted to tell Hinata that Tsukishima looked unwell but the boy himself told him the reason. Yamaguchi put his phone back to his pants' pocket. "You couldn't sleep?"

Tsukishima shrugged. "Kind of."

At least it was better than Hinata prodding him. Hinata was persistant as hell and he was kind of resistant to Tsukishima's intimidation. So it was logical to let Yamaguchi got the answer he wanted.

* * *

His movement was sluggish. But it wasn't that bad and he could still follow the practice drill to the end.

His eyelids were heavy. Every blink he did lulled him. He could hear his own breath, shallow but heavy. His head felt light headed and there was like invisible weight dragging his body.

His response was dulled too. A ball came toward him and it was too late for Tsukishima to register a far cry from Yachi. He looked up and only had the time to raise his hands and suppressed the force a little. He stumbled back and landed on his butt and his hand.

"O-oi, Tsukishima, are you okay?" Tanaka asked after sprinting from the other side of the net.

"I'm fine." Tsukishima said as he rubbed his forehead with his thumb and index finger. A headache was coming.

"You don't look well." Sugawara said. A worried frown on his face.

Tsukishima shook his head a little as he tried to stand up again. "I was not focus. I am sorry."

He ungracefully swayed to the side as a sudden dizziness hit him. A strong arm gripped his, preventing any fall. Tsukishima didn't need to look up to see the person who held him.

"Yamaguchi said you couldn't sleep last night. Are you okay?" Hinata asked as he helped him stand.

Tch. Yamaguchi.

"I am okay." Tsukishima answered, rather irritatedly.

"You don't seem to be okay." Coach Ukai suddenly joined in. He folded his arms while regarding the shorter middle blocker. "You are too pale and your eyes are unfocus."

"I have pale skin." Tsukishima countered.

"Are you dizzy?"

"Slightly. But it won't be a problem."

Ukai nodded as he turned away. "Bring him to the clinic. Have the nurse check him."

"Wa-wait! I still can practice!" Tsukishima exclaimed. He didn't want to go to the school clinic. The nurse might ask him to rest for a bit and he might fall asleep if he wasn't being careful. And he wasn't sure he would wake up in this universe.

"Coach, could I keep him company?" Hinata asked, still standing beside the blonde.

"Just make sure he is okay and do what the nurse says." Ukai said as he ushered both boys with his hand.

"Ossu." Hinata said as he slowly dragged the smaller boy, with a little force due to Tsukishima being uncooperative.

* * *

The school nurse asked Tsukishima to go home. Hinata wouldn't take it that the blonde was going alone, so he sneakily went to the club room and changed. He knew he was going to have crazy drill as punishment the next day, but he didn't want to risk letting Tsukishima walk home in his current state.

Their walk was quiet. Side by side but neither speak. Hinata observed Tsukishima, searched for any sign of problem. Their shoulders brushed a few times. The fact that Tsukishima didn't move to give more space between them told Hinata there was really something he hid. The taller boy learnt that it was his boyfriend's way of seeking support. Small physical contacts.

Then suddenly Hinata remembered what had happened the day before. How Tsukishima suddenly woke him up with wide eyes.

Stupid Shouyou! How couldn't you realize it yesterday that there was something wrong with Kei!

"What happened yesterday?" Hinata blurted.

Tsukishima blinked. Eyes searching into his memory before he clucked his tongue. Of course Hinata would ask yesterday's event.

"The one I woke you up suddenly?"

"You look... frightened? I just realize." Hinata turned to fully face him. He took the shorter boy's hand, in case Tsukishima suddenly thinking about dashing away.

Tsukishima stared forward. Confident and calm that usually presented in his person was replaced with exhaustion and worry. Should he tell Hinata? Was it good to tell Hinata?

But again, he deserved to know.

Tsukishima took a breath, and told him about his dream. He was kind of giving up.

He was exhausted. He felt helpless. He needed Hinata.

* * *

They arrived in front of Tsukishima's house. The shorter boy stood before the short fence gate but didn't make a move to go inside. Hinata was behind him, waiting, intended very well to not leaving Tsukishima before he enter his house.

Tsukishima bit the inside of his cheeks. He was still afraid. He was scared. He wasn't sure, the next time he wake up... would he still be here?

Tsukishima took a deep breath. His throat felt constricted and his arms felt languish with how pathethic he thought of himself.

He turned around to Hinata again. The taller boy readily met his eyes.

"Stay?"

It sounded like a nonchalant offer. But both knew better. It was a plea.

* * *

"Oh, isn't it Hinata-kun?" Kei's mother greeted.

"Yes, Tsukishima-san. Sorry for the intrusion." Hinata bowed to the woman.

"It's alright. I am glad my Kei has another friend besides Yamaguchi-kun." The woman smiled widely.

"Mom." Kei rolled his eyes. "By the way, he is going to stay over night." Kei said, as a way to ask his mother if it was okay to have Hinata sleep over.

She brightened up visibly. "Wonderful! Make yourself at home, Hinata-kun." She waved her hand softly as she vanished to her kitchen, looked a bit too happy.

Kei turned to him. "Let's put your things."

"Right." Hinata smiled. The heavy air was still around them. Both felt it, yet they resoluted to do something about it. They knew they couldn't do anything to stop the inevitable, but at least they could think up something for their separation to be bearable.

Separation.

Tsukishima stopped in his track. His upper arms felt cold and it felt difficult to breath normally. Hinata silently took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Come on."

... Pathethic.

* * *

Dinner was a flash. Tsukishima didn't have big appetite to begin with and Hinata was too occupied with the blonde to properly enjoy Tsukishima's Mom's meal. Their excuse was that they had eaten out before. Luckily, Tsukishima's mother didn't prod more.

The extra matress for Hinata was placed right beside his bed. Tsukishima sat on his bed before lying down on it. His hand touched the matress below and he felt strangely glad that he could easily touch Hinata if he wanted.

The door opened and Hinata entered the room, looking fresh after he changed into his spare loose shirt and an equally spare loose pants, which fitted Hinata well.

"Hey." Hinata greeted as he threw his body to the matress prepared for him. He sighed in contentment. "Argh, this feels nice." He said with closed eyes.

"Hmph." Tsukishima smiled lopsidedly as he playfully punched Hinata's face.

"What was that for?" Hinata growled, no less playfully. There were more soft punches after, until suddenly Hinata pulled the slighter boy toward him and flipped their positions, pinning Tsukishima down on the matress in the process. It was an easy task for Hinata since Tsukishima was apparently weakened with his lack of sleep.

Hinata's face was neutral, worry etched slightly as he saw how Tsukishima looked up at him. The other boy was really good in hiding his emotion but his eyes couldn't lie. Sadness was there, beneath weariness.

Tsukishima looked up. Tried to memorize this Hinata as much as he could with his hazy head. Hinata's big hands on his wrists felt reassuring. Hinata lowered himself. He supported himself with his elbows by now. Their noses almost touching.

"Kei, what should we do?" Hinata asked with a frown, his eyes searching.

Kei shrugged. He really had no idea how to make this all better. Because the end game was obvious.

"You say, you will keep the memory, right?" Hinata asked.

"I think so." Tsukishima nodded slightly.

"Then, let's make many memories." Hinata suggested as he nuzzled Kei's neck.

Kei giggle softly, he was ticklish there. "Shouyou, stop!" His stern voice was ruined.

Hinata stopped but stayed there as he felt Kei's arms circling his neck.

"You are right." A squeeze around his shoulders. "We have to make many memories."

Hinata's head raised slightly. They stared at each other for a moment before Hinata took the lead and kissed the smaller boy. Normally, Hinata would take Tsukishima's glasses off but he figured that the blonde would want to keep them on.

Several seconds into the kiss, Hinata felt that Tsukishima couldn't really keep up with him. His exhaustion must be caught up.

"Okay, time to sleep." Hinata straightened his arms and lifted his body to make room for Tsukishima. The slighter boy nodded as he sluggishly climbed to his bed. Hinata observed him as he lied down on the bed.

"You need to sleep, okay?" Hinata just wanted to make sure. Tsukishima clucked his tongue in irritation but nodded nonetheless as he closed his eyes. "Don't even think to stay awake." Hinata said softly as he took Tsukishima's hand. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Tsukishima swallowed a lump in his throat at that. Both knew that no one could tell whether he would still be there the next time he wake up. Hinata squeezed his hand. The strawberry blonde knew that those were just words, but he himself wanted to believe it. And he hoped Tsukishima would believe that too.

* * *

Tsukishima jerked awake. His eyes were wide, desperately taking in light to assess his surrounding. The room was still his. He looked to his study desk where a gleaming desk watch showed him that it was still midnight. He couldn't tell whether he had been switched back or not since his bedroom was the same in the two universes.

"Kei." Suddenly a larger hand touched his arm. Tsukishima jumped a bit but relaxed the instant he remembered Hinata was sleeping over.

"Yeah." Tsukishima slumped on the bed, face buried on his pillow as he took Hinata's hand as a mean to say that he was okay.

But the truth was, he wasn't okay. The moment he saw the universe-painted room in his dream again, he was so panic that he woke himself.

His arm hang loosely to the matress below. Hinata's hand never left his. After awhile Tsukishima heard the taller boy's soft snore, which lulled him to another slumber.

* * *

Hinata had enough. The third time Tsukishima jerked awake, with his eyes searched frantically around the room, Hinata had enough.

He climbed up Tsukishima's bed. He ushered the other boy to give him some space on his bed.

"What are you doing?" Tsukishima frowned as Hinata manuvered him around and spooned him from behind.

"Make sure you will sleep well." Hinata whined as he adjusted his own pillow beside Tsukishima's.

Tsukishima was thankful with the darkness in the room that hid his blushing face. He could feel Hinata's muscle at his back and damn he would never imagine that the scrawny Shrimp he knew from his universe had this amazing athlethic body as his alternate self.

Tsukishima felt Hinata's breath, brushing the hair around his ear. The warmth, the physical reminder that the strawberry-blonde was there around him, enveloping him, reassured and calmed Tsukishima's nerve so much that he fell asleep again.

When Hinata heard the regular slow breathing, he hoped that Tsukishima would get a real sleep this time.

And he hoped, that he would be still the Kei he knew when they wake up in the morning.

**TBC**

Thank you for reading! Review?:3


	14. Home

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

**HOME**

Tsukishima felt completely refreshed. He only blinked several times and the heavy feeling in his eyelids had disappeared. His body felt light and there was no trace of his yesterday's exhaustion.

The blonde looked down at the arm snaked around his waist. The owner was snoring softly behind him.

Tsukishima smiled thinly. Hinata was the one brought him to sleep. Without the reassuring weight at his back and waist, he doubted he could sleep without fits.

Tsukishima reached to the strawberry blond tresses. He caressed it softly before set them aside so he could see Hinata's face. All peaceful...

... and droll.

Tsukishima's eyebrow twitched at that. His innocent pillow had been fallen victim to Hinata's merciless flow of droll.

His attention was pulled away when the handle of his bedroom door turned. Tsukishima flustered and was about to kick Hinata off of his bed when it was revealed the door was locked.

"Eh? It's locked?"

Tsukishima face-palmed. It was his brother, perfect.

"Hold on! Kei never locks his door! Hinata it must be your doing! Don't you dare lay a finger to my little brother! Do you hear me!? Open the door!" Akiteru roared as he forcefully turned the door handle all the while.

Hinata woke up with a start and he stared sleepily toward the locked door.

"Ugh." The taller boy turned and buried his face to the pillow beneath him again.

"Did you lock the door?" Tsukishima asked, slightly amused. His brother's yell was backgrounding their conversation.

Hinata nodded, still too sleepy to function normally. Tsukishima would allow him to sleep in but the desk clock on his desk showed that it was time to prepare for their morning practice.

"Let's get up before my Nii-san think up something crazy to open the door." Tsukishima patted his arm not too gently and Hinata only grunted in response.

* * *

"I am very sorry for ditching yesterday's practice. I really regret that. It was rude of me. I am sorry, Coach." Hinata bowed as deep as his body allowed. Ukai's face was decorated with vein lines, his cigarette was crushed between his jaws.

The other Karasunos stepped away from them. They could sense the menacing aura around their Coach. It was the most logical thing to do to stay away from their conversation.

"No running away from punishment!" Ukai started. "Diving receives, three laps, after the afternoon practice."

Hinata looked up, his head was still low in a bowing position. Three laps of diving receive? It was lighter than what he had imagined!

"Ossu!"

* * *

"Eh? Tsukki, you are not going home?" Yamaguchi asked. They had changed into their gakuran but apparently the glasses boy didn't intend to directly going home yet, as seen as how he took a detour back to the gym.

"Yeah." Tsukishima nodded. "Shouyou got the punishment because of me. In a sense." Tsukishima shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, I see." Yamaguchi reluctantly stared to the side where Yachi was standing before looking up to the blonde. "I am going to stay with you then."

Tsukishima blinked. It was not strange for him and Hinata that Yamaguchi usually tagged along. They did not overly doing couple thing so Yamaguchi had no problem following them. But, the black haired boy seemed distracted. Even now, Yamaguchi looked back and forth between him and Yachi. Sneakily.

Tsukishima raised one of his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" He then asked.

"Yes." Yamaguchi smiled. His voice quiet and his eyes were down.

Tsukishima sighed mentally. This guy...

"I am okay all alone here. Shouyou will finish his punishment soon anyway." Tsukishima said as he took the freckled-boy's shoulder and spun him around. "Now, go. Walk Yachi-san home for me." Tsukishima shoved the shorter boy.

Yamaguchi stumbled but caught himself when he was about to collide with Yachi. The girl then proceeded to give him unbelievable reasons of why Yamaguchi didn't need to walk her home. The two then proceeded to awkwardly bicker back and forth for awhile. It was Tsukishima's cold glare that encouraged them to leave the school together. Quickly.

* * *

Kageyama looked back where Hinata prepared himself for his punishment. Damn, they could use some quick practice instead of that. But the Coach's order was absolute that time. He walked away from the gym with nothing special in mind.

When he reached the school gate, his blank mind kick-started as soon as he spotted Kindaichi.

Kageyama petrified on his spot. Kindaichi was leaning against the gate, fiddling with his phone. What should he do? What Kindaichi wanted? Would there be another awkward moment?

Kageyama thought to walk back to the gym. At least he could distract himself from the turnip-headed boy. But, his brain short-circuited once again when Kindaichi looked up and met his eyes.

"Kageyama!" The boy called as he stood straight up. Tension and nervousness were clear in his posture.

Kageyama nodded in his greeting. He didn't believe his voice to say hi to Kindaichi.

The Seijou jogged slowly to him. When they were face to face, the thick awkward air enveloped them tightly. Kageyama looked everywhere but Kindaichi, while the taller boy stared at him intensely, as if deep in thought.

"Um, I changed my number." Kindaichi started.

Kageyama's tensed shoulders fell. He knew that already. Bringing that up didn't help whatever Kindaichi wanted with him.

"I know."

"No- I mean, I changed it again." Kindaichi spluttered.

Kageyama blinked before slowly looked up to his former spiker. "Oh." He really didn't know how to respond to that.

"Well..." Kindaichi trailed as he fumbled with his phone again.

A few seconds later, Kageyama's phone went off. The setter took it out from his pants' pocket and an unknown number displayed on its monitor.

"That's my number." Kindaichi said with a nod. Strangely, he looked satisfied. "Oh, and I got your number from Iwaizumi-san. I figured you are still in speaking term with him."

"Yes." Kageyama replied absent-mindedly as he quickly saved Kindaichi's number. The slight blush on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Kindaichi.

The shorter boy hid his face with his bangs as he typed Kindaichi's name for his new contact. When he checked the number, Kageyama blinked.

He re-checked Kindaichi's new number, just to make sure.

No, it couldn't be...

Kageyama looked at Kindaichi with disbelief. The taller boy grinned with childish happiness.

"Yeah..." Kindaichi said. "I searched the whole town for a new number with only one digit difference with yours."

Kindaichi was not going to let Ushijima upped him on this.

* * *

"You don't need to wait for me, you know." Hinata said. But the blush and the happy grin on his face told Tsukishima that the taller boy appreciated the gesture very much.

"I am not in the mood to face Nii-san yet." Tsukishima shrugged. He had prepared the excuse, apparently.

Hinata nodded in understanding while his grin turned embarrassed. "Yeah, I can see your point."

"Okay then. Let's go."

"By the way, I am hungry." Hinata suddenly said.

Tsukishima turned around. His hands in his pants' pockets. "Huh?"

"Let's eat something." Hinata nervously offered as he scratched the back of his head, which was obviously not itchy.

Tsukishima sighed. He turned away from Hinata and mumbled a "Fine."

The strawberry blonde didn't see his blush, though.

* * *

Their option fell to a new ramen restaurant that had just opened a week ago. Their friends at school said it was good and since it was still in opening promotion, the price was cheap.

Besides, they had enough of pork buns that their Captain occasionally treated them. Not that they were not grateful.

"You are going to sleep well tonight, right?" Hinata managed to say it clearly despite a mouthful of ramen he was chewing.

"I think so." Tsukishima replied as he picked a chicken meat and put it into his mouth.

A night with Hinata somehow strengthened his heart. The chance that he would be transported back to his own world was still there. But, he had spent a night with Hinata, which was enough of a memento, a precious memory that he would bring forever.

He would sleep peacefully tonight and the nights afterward. Knowing that he had this memory to clutch forever. Knowing that Hinata knew about the circumstance of their relationship and knowing that Hinata was strong enough to accept it and be ready when the dreadful moment came.

So, sleeping well was possible. Besides, he couldn't do anything against it. He could just enjoy every moment he had with this Hinata. And enjoying their moments required a healthy body.

"You better be." Hinata nodded to himself, looked strangely satisfied. "Because if not, I am going to spend a night or few more to make sure you sleep. We are going to sleep together as many times as it takes!" Hinata loudly exclaimed.

**"Woah!"**

Suddenly a familiarly annoying voice entered their earshot. Hinata's excited face turned pale instantly. Tsukishima, who was at that time facing the entrance blinked at the figures under the door frame Tendou's wide eyes focused on them and his shit-eating grin was wider than Tsukishima remembered.

"Heh. Hinata is indeed Wakatoshi's kouhai." Semi said as Tendou snickered while slapping Ushijima's back.

"What do you mean?" Ushijima asked, still as flat and serious as ever.

"You guys can be embarrassingly vulgar when flirting." Semi bluntly informed to their former captain.

"I-I am not flirting!" Hinata defended.

Tsukishima didn't know how but suddenly the four Shiratorizawa seniors shared the table with them. They took two other chairs from other tables and joined a table with theirs before sitting comfortably with the two juniors from another school.

Tsukishima just sat there, speechless, while the seniors teased Hinata about his newfound side. The blonde really didn't know what to do with all the conversation between the Shiratorizawa and the ex-Shiratorizawa.

"So it was true. You and Hinata are together?" The black haired senior, with a calm and kind atmosphere around him, Ohira Reon, was it not? suddenly addressed the bewildered Tsukishima.

"Ah, yes." Tsukishima automatically answered. When he realized it he frowned with embarrassment.

"Heeeeh? He is blushing." Tendou loudly said as he urged Semi to look.

"But how do you guys know?" Hinata asked, getting himself back from the embarrassing teases from his seniors.

"Surprisingly, our Super Ace has his way to that information." Ohira chuckled.

"I was asking Kageyama whether you and him had a special relationship or not, but he objected and said you are in a relationship with the bastardly Tsukishima." Ushijima said casually as he browsed the menu. "And I found out later you are the bastardly Tsukishima."

Oh how Tsukishima tempted to curse their lovely setter out loud. Hinata sensed his boyfriend's resentment so it would be wise that Hinata changed the topic immediately.

"B-By the way, what are you guys doing here?" Hinata asked to divert their attention.

"Well, unlike middle schoolers, we can go out without supervision as long as we are back at the dormitory before the curfew." Tendou leaned his head to Semi's shoulder to look for the menu.

"And today we are officially retired from the club. So, we are thinking a small hang out just for us the third year regulars will be great." Ohira explained more. "Except Yamagata. He misplaced his phone again."

"I see." Hinata's excitement turned somber slightly. Yeah, Shiratorizawa match against Karasuno was their last play in high school.

Tsukishima detected his dejected tune. He then turned toward the seniors with his neutral face, but after making sure he brushed his foot with Hinata's under the table as some sort of comfort offering.

"What did you mean with these guys," Tsukishima referred Hinata and Ushijima with his chopsticks "can be embarrassing vulgar when flirting?"

Tendou's and Semi's face immediately turned gloomy. Ohira hid his face by looking away but Tsukishima caught a glimpse of his face. The senior looked like an embarrassed parent. Ushijima was just sitting there, blinked at the sudden change of air around his friends.

"I once hoped that I could see Wakatoshi flirts. Like, hopelessly and awkwardly flirts with someone." Semi started. "I regret ever wishing it."

Of all things Tsukishima imagined how they would respond to his question, this wasn't what he expected. He thought those guys would be excitedly told him the embarrassing thing Ushijima had done. It was completely the other way around. Ushijima was even appearing wondering why his friends suddenly felt embarrassed.

"It was our second year in high school." Tendou started.

"Satori, wait." Semi tried to stop him but the Guess Monster waved him off.

"It's not like they know who the guy is."

"They are going to nationals." Semi insisted.

Tendou closed his mouth at that, seemed contemplating his next move. "Meh, they won't realize who it is even if they face him."

Semi sighed and Tendou turned to the two juniors. "We played against a team from Tokyo. Their Captain, who is in our year, could block three of his spikes during the first round. Either he was good or Wakatoshi was in his down moment." Tendou looked up as if remembering the event. "By the second round, it happened."

"What happened?" Hinata eagerly asked. His ramen was forgotten temporarily by the interesting tale of his senpai.

"He flirted with that guy." Tendou said. "Embarrassingly." He added.

"Do you know what he said to the guy across the net? 'Does it hurt? Do you want me to do it gently?'" Semi said. "It was so embarrassing we couldn't shake the feeling off for the whole round."

"And that guy reciprocated. He said 'Don't you go soft on me.'" Tendou looked blue. "With that flirty gaze."

"They looked like they wanted to devour each other right then. Hahahaha." Ohira lightly said.

"Woah! Really you said that, Senpai?" Hinata fully stared at Ushijima now, who looked too apathetic considering he was the center of their conversation.

"He has the grace of a cat." Ushijima suddenly said. "His red and black jersey matched him well. And his bedhead made me thinking of him in another way." Ushijima said as he finished their order. He then asked for the waitress to collect their order.

Semi grimaced at how Ushijima described his one-time crush and Tendou smirked at the blush on the waitress' face when she heard the bedhead part.

Hinata and Tsukishima blinked at the same time. They slowly turned to face each other.

"Grace of a cat." Tsukishima mumbled.

"Red and black jersey?" Hinata replied.

"Bedhead." Tsukishima added.

"A Captain from a school from Tokyo." Hinata mused.

"In their year." Tsukishima finalized.

"Hm? What are you guys bubbling about?" Tendou asked.

The two first years turned quickly to look at the seniors.

They took a breath and mentioned one name together.

"Kuroo Tetsurou."

All their faces screamed _SHIT! DOUBLE SHIT! TRIPLE SHIT!_

Except Ushijima. In fact he was about to ask for Kuroo's number as seen as he took out his phone when Semi closed his mouth and all but whispered "We are trying to save your dignity here."

* * *

It was unexpectedly not awkward to be around Hinata's former seniors. Maybe it was Hinata's presence beside him that helped, but the air was light with them. Tsukishima expected it would be tensed, like with Aoba Jousai. He was grateful that another moment was well spent with his boyfriend.

"You look content." Hinata suddenly said. A soft smile was on his face as he gazed to the shorter blonde.

Tsukishima blinked. "Do I?" He turned away and put his poker face again.

Hinata snorted. "See?"

The scowl on Tsukishima's face did nothing but make Hinata's laughter louder.

"Ah, by the way." Hinata started when he got his composure back. "Tomorrow is weekend. Let's watch a movie." He finished it with a grin.

"What movie?" Tsukishima asked a little bit too quickly.

Hinata's grin went wider. "That popular one. Flying-Mammal Man VS Not-Your-Average-Man." Hinata mused. "Or maybe Captain USA: The Divorcing Superdads." He added.

Tsukishima was so ready to say yes but his stupid pride prevented him to act eager. He stalled for a few more seconds before nodded calmly. "Sounds good."

Hinata made a soundless victory dance. "Tomorrow, ten in the morning? Maybe we can have a snack before the movie?"

"Fine by me." Tsukishima could feel his face heated up a bit as the realization sunk in. They were going to have a date!

"We will meet in front of the cinema building then? Under the movie posters?"

Tsukishima nodded again as he avoided Hinata's eyes. "Okay."

"Yes!" Hinata yelled excitedly this time.

* * *

Tsukishima's sleepy mind could only registered the bright sun rays peered by the curtain gap. Ah, the comfort of his pillow never ceased to lull him to another slumber. Tsukishima was about to drift off if only his brain didn't supply him with very important information.

He planned a date with Hinata today.

Tsukishima jolted awake and jumped from his bed, he looked at the clock and it was thirty minutes before ten in the morning.

The travel to the cinema alone would take him twenty minutes.

Damn it! He should have set an alarm.

* * *

Tsukishima finally arrived at the appointed meeting point. He looked up to the poster and blinked once. There were no posters of the movies Hinata mentioned. Tsukishima didn't think much about it. They could choose any other movie to watch.

So, he just stood there and looked left and right for a tall strawberry blond head. Good thing that this Hinata was tall, Tsukishima wouldn't have any problem to spot him.

But today was strangely too cold for spring. Tsukishima shoved his hands to the pockets of his pants. He felt grateful that his mother scolded him when he dressed lightly in this cold weather.

* * *

Tsukishima looked at his watch for the umpteenth. Hinata had never been late before. Morning practices and all kind of team meetings had always been attended by Hinata at least fifteen minutes before they started.

Is Hinata okay?

And damn, this was the coldest spring Tsukishima had experienced. Tsukishima thought annoyed as he took out his phone and browsed through his contacts to find 'Shouyou'.

Tsukishima blinked when he found 'Hinata' instead. But he shrugged it off. Again.

Then he called.

* * *

_"Eh? Tsukishima? What is it?"_ Came a very sleepy voice.

But that wasn't important. It was the color of Hinata's voice that brought cold to Tsukishima's entire being. He felt his heart dropped. The voice was unmistakably Hinata's. But not the tall Hinata he knew.

"Shouyou?" Tsukishima tried. His voice was as neutral as ever but his hands started trembling slightly. His eyes unseeing as he focused on processing, or denying, the inevitable.

Hinata paused for a moment.

_"Did you just call me Shouyou? Are you having a fever?"_

Then everything clicked.

Tsukishima turned slowly toward the movie posters. He looked at the screening date and his legs turned languish as he took several steps back and leaned on a pillar instead.

Tsukishima heeded nothing as he ended his call with Hinata, who was still asking what was happening to him.

Tsukishima breath turned faster. His mouth went dry and his eyes vacant. Everything clicked. Everything came crushing on him.

The cold weather. It wasn't spring anymore. It was fall. The next fall as judged by the date displayed on the movie posters.

Tsukishima leaned heavily on the pillar. He couldn't trust his legs at the moment. He lifted his phone again. He brushed away a single drop of tear without any care, which he didn't realize having, as he opened the phone's gallery. He frantically searched through the files for his team photograph. As much as he appeared uncaring about his team, he actually cared, a little. So, having their photograph in his phone was certain.

And when he found it. He wished he didn't.

There was Hinata. The short Hinata. Smiling stupidly as he stood proudly beside their simpleton of a setter. Tsukishima himself was standing beside Kageyama with a standoff-ish air around him.

Tsukishima chocked a dry sob before walking away from the cinema.

If only he could also walk away from reality.

* * *

Tsukishima had been switched back. He was home.

**TBC**


	15. Restart

"Finally, an update!" I really hope you think like that guys. I hope you still read this slow-updating-fic of mine -_-

**Disclaimer**: Haikyuu! is not mine and I never make any money with this fic.

**CHAPTER 15  
RESTART  
**

"_Hello?_"

When Hinata heard the hesitant voice from the receiver of his call he knew something terrible had happened. Tsukishima would not only say "Hello?" considering his forty five minutes lateness from the agreed time. He would tell him the reason of his delayed arrival with his usual neutral and slightly threatening manner.

But no. Tsukishima sounded confused instead.

"Kei?" Hinata tried. His heart beat faster the longer Tsukishima replied.

"_Wait, Hinata? Why the hell did I name you Shouyou here?_" The other boy sounded mumbling to himself.

Hinata's heart dropped.

He bent over as he put his other hand on his knee. Panic started spreading through his entire being before it evolved into despair. Hinata scrunched his eyes shut as he released a huge breath through his mouth.

It's not happening.

Not on their first movie date.

"_Anyway, why are you calling me?_" Tsukishima asked nonchalantly.

Hinata fight the lump in his throat. That voice, it was clearly Kei's voice. But there was no hidden affection the other blonde usually suppressed.

It was like the standoff-ish Tsukishima all over again.

Hinata choked out a sob when a drop of tear escaped his eyelid. He let it fell to the ground as he tried to think up something for this Tsukishima. In the end, Hinata shook his head softly, and he hung up.

Sitting down on the ground. His arms rested on top of his knees while his head down between them, hiding from the world as his shoulders started shaking with sorrow. Looking pitiable in front of a busy and merry cinema building.

His Kei was not there with him anymore.

* * *

Hinata's eyes were slightly red. He looked up at the familiar house before him. He wasn't thinking when he walked away from the cinema. Yet, his feet brought him there. The house of Tsukishima family.

Hinata shook his head and slapped his forehead. What the hell was he doing? What he wished to achieve by arriving there? And damn it, what if Ke- Tsukishima saw him there?

He had to go away from there.

But before he could take a step away from the fence gate, Tsukishima's mother opened the front door.

"Hinata-kun! What are you doing just standing there? Come in." The kind woman beckoned him with a wave of her hand. "I thought you were some creepy stalker." The woman good-humoredly said. Hinata was about to say that he was leaving when Tsukishima's mother did something that couldn't be undone.

"Kei! Hinata-kun is here!" The smiling woman called loudly to her son. Hinata frantically searched for his brain for any excuse to flee the inevitable awkward moment. He stood rigid whereas his brain told him to run.

"Eh? Hinata?" Tsukishima said back from inside.

Hinata's heart clenched. That voice. So close yet so far. His limbs which were rigid before grew weak instantly. He wanted to see Kei but at the same time he didn't want to. He wasn't ready yet. Hinata took a breath when he heard footsteps approaching them.

"What does that shrimp want?" Tsukishima said to himself before appeared behind his mom.

He halted upon seeing Hinata. He looked up to the strawberry blonde with wide eyes and a slightly gaping mouth. His eyes reflected his bewilderment clearly. Hinata could virtually see how the gears in Tsukishima's cute smart brain rotated and grind each other.

"Hina... Hinata?" Tsukishima called. Or asked.

"Are you alright, Kei?" Tsukishima's mother asked her son in confusion.

Tsukishima looked back and forth slowly from his mom and Hinata. He looked confused, but by the seconds realization was obvious on his face.

The ecstatic smile on Tsukishima's face was poorly concealed. The same smile that usually made Hinata's heart flatter now made it sunk. This Tsukishima was happy that he finally home.

Kei was also finally home.

Hinata should be happy for him, right?

"Uh, I am sorry but I remember that I need to buy groceries now." Hinata said before quickly bowing. He didn't let Tsukishima's Mom to hold him back as he turned and sprinted lightly. Keeping his head down, he managed to avoid looking at Tsukishima.

Hinata didn't want anyone to see him this pathetic.

* * *

Hinata slept for a full ten hours. It was not fitful like he had expected, but it wasn't entirely replenishing. Instead, he strangely felt exhausted.

The way to the school was as peaceful as ever. The chilling dawn air, the fresh oxygen, it was all familiar. Those things usually pumped him up even more for morning practice. But, today, it wasn't the case. Those things had become diminutive details in his stormy head. Those things didn't soothe his mind.

And to make it worse, fifteen minutes waiting for one of his seniors to open the gym door, Tsukishima was there.

Hinata was sitting on of the stairs while Tsukishima stared at him apathetically. Yet, something was underlying his gaze. Uncertainty, but resolute.

"I know you will come over early." Tsukishima started.

Hinata's eyebrows furrowed. Tsukishima spoke as if he was familiar with him. A pang of hope sprung up in his heart. But he didn't dare to feed it. It would be too cruel for whatever force was it at work to play with him this much.

"The shrimpy Hinata does too." The smaller blond added. And whatever small hope Hinata had before, was hammered by that.

"I want to talk with you." Tsukishima continued. "I saw the photographs in my phone. You are there a lot." Tsukishima looked away at that point. "And the fact that you fled yesterday, I concluded you know about _us_. You realized I wasn't _him_."

Hinata bowed, hiding his face. A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah. You are just as smart."

_Damn, why does it sting this much?_

"I assume..." Tsukishima trailed. "that your relationship with him was more than friendship?" He hesitated.

A spark of annoyance emerged. Hinata looked up, smiling, but hard. "You think?"

Tsukishima blinked, taken aback by the intense eyes. "Seeing your reaction, I take that as a yes."

Hinata gulped on nothing before looking down at the dirt again. He released a large breath to calm his nerve. It was proven too much for him. Enough to let his temper known for a fraction of second.

"I am sorry." Tsukishima finally said.

Hinata looked up again. Surprise was written all over his face. "It... It was not your fault."

"No, don't take me wrong. I am not sorry for coming back. I am expressing my sympathy." Tsukishima frowned. Looked mildly offended that Hinata thought he was sorry for coming back to where he belonged.

Hinata nodded in acceptance. He looked austere but slightly defeated. "Thank you. But please don't pity me."

"I understand." Tsukishima said as he adjusted his duffle bag. His grip on the strap looked tight. "One more thing."

Hinata blinked but he only stared at Tsukishima's shoes. Still sitting on the stair.

"Your preference doesn't disturb me. But, I am not him." Tsukishima said. A firm honesty was thick in his voice.

The line had been drawn.

Tsukishima was not Kei. He was a whole another person. Tsukishima was not there as substitute of his Kei. His affection for Kei... should not be given to this Tsukishima. At least that was what Tsukishima wanted to ell him.

"No hard feeling. I hope we can still co-operate during matches." Tsukishima said before walking away. "Gonna get a carton of milk." He said simply before vanishing from Hinata's eyes.

_Counting_. Hinata told himself as he closed his eyes and proceeded to count in his head. Despite the majority people inferred him as a gentle guy, he was still a boy with his roughhouse impulse at times. And during stressful times, when his mental put into test, his frustration could light his temper and it might flare for a snip of time.

And it burst.

Hinata stood up, threw his bag to the dirt, and punch the gym door so hard that it rattled on its hinges.

The pain felt good. At least it took some of his mind off from his heartache.

* * *

Kageyama didn't know what it was. But, something had happened between Hinata and Tsukishima.

And Tsukishima changed. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was a change in the bespectacled-boy's behavior. He was a tad bit nicer. He was still a smartass and could bring any good mood one had to a doom in an instant, but he was less reclusive with showing his emotion. The change was there, hanging in the air around him. It was subtle but not unnoticeable. It was just difficult to put into words. If Tsukishima before was a midnight with only the moon light accompanying it, this Tsukishima was that moment past midnight but not yet dawn. Sliver of sun rays was barely seen far in the east side of the horizon. That was the impression Kageyama had about today's Tsukishima. He was _**slightly**_ nicer to have around.

But that couldn't be said for Hinata. Whatever happened between them, it was something big. Something so big that could make Hinata felt cold and distant. He still smiled and talked like usual. But he was a lot quieter and his smile didn't reach his eyes.

Looking at Hinata's back now, it felt cold and... lonely.

Kageyama turned to look at Tsukishima who was talking with Yamaguchi and Yachi. The blond boy looked unaffected. He even had the nerve to smile thinly on something Yachi blurted. _This is not right._

The contrast between Hinata and Tsukishima didn't make any sense to Kageyama. Usually, when one of them became gloomy, the other would become annoying.

_What the hell is happening?_

So Kageyama made it his mission to keep an eye toward Hinata. Because this Hinata had been always unnerving to Kageyama. Since, to be honest, without his bright, childish, and cheerful side, the power and skill that sturdy body held was finally bare to the world. Reminding everyone in the gym that they were in the presence of someone who had played in national courts.

"What happened to your hand, Hinata?" Sugawara suddenly asked.

Everyone had seen Hinata's bandaged hand but no one had the fortitude to outright ask him. Not with the pensive look Hinata had in his eyes now.

But Sugawara knew, he could ask it casually and came out of it unharmed. Not that Hinata was a harmful boy to begin with. No. They were just being cautious.

"Ah, this." Hinata started sheepishly. "I lost my temper for a moment and punch the gym door."

Sugawara blinked. He expected long drawn excuse, not a brazen honesty. Facing with it, Sugawara felt flustered. But he was so ready to take care of this baby crow that his brain supplied him with replies automatically. "Be careful from now on, Hinata. You don't want to injure your hand, right?" The gentle senior told him.

"Ossu." Hinata nodded weakly as he lowered his hand.

_Oh. Hinata, being in a slump like this doesn't suit you._

Sugawara reached before ruffling Hinata's hair tenderly. The silver-haired senior heard a quiet gasp from Asahi, but he heeded nothing. And just like that Hinata smiled cheerlessly before walking away to take a ball to practice his serving.

"Tsukki, is everything alright?" Yamaguchi asked worriedly toward his tall bestfriend.

Tsukishima glanced at the shorter boy before moving his eyes to Hinata. "I will tell you everything."

In fact, Tsukishima actually wondered, why the hell _he_ told Hinata about his universe-walking and not his bestfriend?

The afternoon proceeded eventless after that and without they realized, it was time to wrap up. Shimizu announced that they will have measurements for the pamphlet for the next day and with that they cleaned the gym up.

* * *

Tsukishima knew himself. He also knew that one time in his life his cowardice would rear its ugly head. Now was the time. He shied away from reality.

Yesterday he had run back home from the cinema. Upon arrival he dashed into his bedroom, didn't care for his Mom's worrying call. He changed into his shirt and shorts soundlessly. Frustratedly threw the clothes to the poor wall.

He wanted to scream. But his parents might as well break his bedroom door down to bust their way to him if he do it. No. He wanted to be alone.

He screamed in the end. Into his pillow. And he cried.

His Mom called him. Akiteru called him. But none was answered. Yamaguchi also came and tried to persuade him. But none worked.

So the moment Tsukishima opened his eyes the next morning. He adamantly told himself that he was not going to school. He couldn't yet.

When he came down to the dining room, his Mom's eyes glistened. She tried to make everything felt normal for him. Akiteru and his Dad did the same by greeting him briefly and went back to their television and newspaper. Yet, he felt the surreptitious peeks they gave him. He loved them dearly and appreciated their understanding for not barraging him with questions already.

"I don't want to go school today." He said before drinking his milk.

His Mom looked ready to spill her tears. "Kei... Dear, what happened?"

Tsukishima shook his head slowly. _Not yet Mom._ He then took his plate of sandwich and went to his room. He stopped midway and looked back to his family. "Sorry. Give me time."

**TBC**

Thanks for (still) reading this chapter! Review? *_*


	16. During My Absence

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Haikyuu! And never make any money by this fic.

Thanks for all your response toward the previous chapter. Here a new chapter and I really hope you will like it :3

**CHAPTER 16  
DURING MY ABSENCE**

* * *

**The Universe with Short Hinata**

Three days had flown by monotonously. Tsukishima's routine had been stripped to his bare necessities. Sleeping, eating, showering, and sleeping again. Listening to music he never heard before helped entertaining his leaden mind, but not by much. He also took time to catch up to his school lessons. Judging by the notes his other self left, he was six months behind. There was a lot to catch up.

But he couldn't concentrate. Not with the fresh memory he still desperately clutched in his heart and mind. Everything around Tsukishima despaired him. From the Karasuno jersey he had hung, the group photograph he had casually slipped into a frame before, to his phone, which was full of reminders that Tsukishima had been back to his rightful place.

Everything reminded Tsukishima about _him_, the person he had grown a feeling for, but would never be reunited again.

Even saying his name was hurting him a little.

Then he heard conversation from below. He peered to the digital clock on his study desk and it was quarter past four in the afternoon. Tsukishima tried to listen to what the people were saying below but gave up as soon as he started. He lost interest in almost everything after he transported back.

Knocks on his bedroom door broke his cogitation, or lack thereof. Tsukishima sat up on his bed when the door opened. His mother, smiled easily, but eyes full of worry for her youngest son. A man in white shirt with graying hair followed her. A wide smile on his face and his eyes twinkled in familiarity.

"Kei-kun! You look healthy!" The man exclaimed a little bit too cheery than Tsukishima would appreciate. The blonde just nodded, didn't bother feign a smile.

"Tsukki..." A soft, trailing voice of Yamaguchi hit his ears. Tsukishima looked up and was surprised by the boy's presence. He didn't see him coming with his mom.

"Yamaguchi." Tsukishima addressed his bestfriend.

"Alright, Kei-kun, I believe you remember me so I don't need to introduce myself, right?" The man started as he smiled easily to Tsukishima. The man's eyes were bright and accepting but he couldn't help but notice the calculating gaze beneath the warmth of his stare.

Getting slightly defensive, Tsukishima didn't answer. Instead he threw his own question.

"I am sorry, but who are you?"

Her mother gasped behind her hand. She immediately turned around as Kei looked at her. The smile on the man's face waned a little but didn't vanish completely. The man looked grim at an angle as he looked to Tsukishima's mother by the tail of his eyes.

And Yamaguchi. He stared wide-eyed to him. Tsukishima knew that Yamaguchi had wide eyes but he never stopped getting surprised at how wide he could open his eyes. Then a twinkle of elation sparked in those dark orbs that caught Tsukishima off guard.

The room supposed to be glum now. What did Yamaguchi find so joyful?

"Kei, Honey..." His mother trailed as he took his hand in hers.

"What is it, Mom?" Tsukishima frowned. What the hell was happening?

"Tsukishima-san, he looks tired. Let him and Yamaguchi-kun chat for a bit." The man said as he motioned to Yamaguchi to stay by his bestfriend side. The black haired boy nodded politely before moving to stand beside Tsukishima who was still sitting on his bed.

Tsukishima looked back and forth between Yamaguchi and his mother. A hand was on her own chest and the doctor ushered her out when she was about to see him first. The door then shut with a muffled click.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi immediately put his hands in his shoulders. His eyes rapidly searched into his eyes. "You are back!" He exclaimed.

Tsukishima blinked. "You knew." He stated rather than asked.

"Of course." Yamaguchi bowed his head and a sniffle followed soon after.

"No, Yamaguchi. Don't cry now." Tsukishima put his hand on top of Yamaguchi's on his shoulder.

"But... But..." Yamaguchi trailed hopelessly. "I am so happy."

"Yeah..." He was about to say _me too_. But was he?

"It's just, you suddenly miss school for three days in a row without news. Captain and the rest thinks that you have another sudden amnesia and-"

"Wait, what-"

"-your family just brings you to hospital without telling anyone anything." Yamaguchi sniffled again.

"Amnesia?"

Yamaguchi blinked. "Oh, right." He then wiped the little snot and tear he managed to secreted in that short time. "When you guys switched, the other Tsukishima was in a later timeline I guess. We were preparing to face Aoba Jousai and he was still in the first day of high school."

Tsukishima frowned. A part of him was relieved that Yamaguchi knew about the switch thus saved him the time and energy of telling him. But, right now he would like to hear everything that had happened during his absence. "Tell me everything."

"Well, then, the first time someone other than me greeted _you_ in school," Yamaguchi made an air-quote gesture at the _you_ part. "_you_ were confused. Then Tanaka-san greeted us, _you_ were confused even more. Kageyama waved at me and _you_ frantically asked me how I knew Kageyama. And _you_ ask to be brought to infirmary when Hinata greeted us." Yamaguchi finished. But then added, "_You_ had been panic when _your_ parents took _you_ home. The next day they made _you_ an appointment with a neurologist. Dr. Watanabe." Yamaguchi indicated the man before with his hand. "He said nothing can be found, and _you_ were healthy psychologically. Only _your_ memory seemed erased, or reset."

Tsukishima absorbed everything with minor disbelief. A part of him felt frustrated of how his other self managed to embarrass him in one day, another part of him understood the guy's circumstance. Tsukishima himself coped with the switch in a calmer fashion just because he felt much more in control of the situation. He got the advantage of knowing how things would have been. He had even felt superior in the first days.

So, yeah, if their cases were reversed, he would have reacted the same way. More or less.

"I am really happy that you are back, Tsukki. The other, he is you but at the same time is not you. He is _slightly_ nicer." Yamaguchi emphasized it with his finger. His index finger and his thumb made a pinch with the slightest gap possible between the two fingers.

Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi flatly, didn't appreciate that his best friend seemed favoring the other him.

"So, why haven't you been to school? I thought you would be happy coming back. What held you back?" Yamaguchi finally asked as he sat in his study chair by his study desk.

Tsukishima's heart made a deep fall as he remembered everything. The reason he reacted negatively to this switching-back. Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi with a sullen look on his eyes. In turn Yamaguchi's face fell seeing those look.

"I will only tell you this once. Never mention it again, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima started, before adding "Please."

There Yamaguchi realized his bestfriend was in need of his full support for whatever it was burdening him.

* * *

**The Universe with Tall Hinata**

The moment Tsukishima saw Hinata, the tall Hinata he knew from middle school as the Shiratorizawa's middle blocker, he was kind of short-circuited. But it didn't take long for everything to fall into places. Because the clearest visible difference between his original universe and the one he had temporarily inhibited was this tall Hinata.

Tsukishima was back home.

So the first thing he did was sprinted lightly to his brother's room. Akiteru jumped at the sudden opening of his bedroom door. And more over without acknowledging him, his little brother went to his study desk, squinted at an old photograph of his senior and junior high school basketball club members.

And something unthinkable happened. It was a welcoming abruptness that Akiteru bit his protest back about Kei's rudeness of not knocking on his door before.

Kei hugged him. Briefly. And in a fleeting moment the younger Tsukishima fled from the room. Probably didn't want to witness Akiteru's reaction.

Kei was overjoyed. If he was not Tsukishima Kei he might as well hug his pillow and scream with exuberance. But he was the calm and collected Tsukishima Kei. So, that was not going to happen.

Tsukishima took his phone and opened his gallery. Just to make sure that everyone he knew back there were the same.

He admittedly didn't know what to expect but he certainly didn't expect a lot of Hinata in it. Tsukishima blinked. Joy temporarily replaced by contemplation.

Apparently _he_ took a lot of pictures with Hinata. But, why? And most of them looked really close. They were a little bit too palsy-walsy for his liking.

Ah, if only Hinata hadn't gone home yet, he could ask him about it.

Tsukishima frowned slightly as something occurred to him. Hinata seemed to be bothered by something when their eyes met. And what did he want before? Why did he go before saying anything to him?

Was it possibly that Hinata knew?

If that the case, then _that guy_ was really close with Hinata.

Tsukishima shrugged it off as nothing. As if it was a minute detail in a million important ones right then. That was it until he tapped on a photo of _him_ taking a selfie with a sleeping Hinata. In his very bed. Tsukishima's eyes widened in incredulity. _Him_, Tsukishima Kei, had let someone else sleep in his bed? As far as he knew from the Yamaguchi in the other side, his other self was more or less the same with him. _His_ way of thinking and personality (there was seemed a little difference between their attitude, though) were matching perfectly with his. So, why would _he_ let Hinata sleep in his bed? How close Hi-

Tsukishima closed his eyes in exasperation. He understood now. Like he ranted mentally before, if _he _was really his other self, he wouldn't let any other boy to sleep in his bed and then with a smiley face took a selfie with the said person. So, the only answer was that Hinata was special enough. He concluded that _he_ and Hinata had a very special relationship, intimate enough to let Hinata to be so close and personal. Only_ that_ kind of relationship possible for them to be that close. Because if it was not romantic, he wouldn't have taken a selfie. He would simply take picture of the sleeping Hinata with his drool to make fun of him in the later future. In contrast with that, this picture was taken to be cherished.

He also concluded that Hinata definitely knew what happened. Because with this close relationship, there was no way Hinata would run back home without saying anything to him. Unless he realized that he was not the _Tsukishima_ he fell for.

So, the next day he confronted the taller boy. Knowing he ought to be the same Hinata with the same habit with the Shrimp, Tsukishima prepared himself to meet him in the early morning. Tsukishima was ready for the conversation but suddenly, during their talk, he realized that he was talking to Hinata Shouyou, the previous Shiratorizawa's middle blocker. Whose skill was unparalleled with the Shrimp's, and his. He gripped his school bag strap strongly and silently formulating an escape plan.

This Hinata presence is unmistakably strong. Just like Shrimp. But Shrimp had a lighter feel in his presence. This guy oozed heavy air around him. Well, maybe because of what had just happened.

And as promised after the practice that day, Tsukishima told everything to Yamaguchi. The black-haired boy's eyes teared up dramatically. Tsukishima made fun of him but then Yamaguchi quietly said "Glad you are back."

Yamaguchi didn't know what happened, but he certainly knew that his bestfriend changed. The black-haired boy was just relieved that his actual bestfriend hadn't changed whatsoever.

_"Because frankly, he is scarier."_

Apparently that guy was more intimidating than him.

Yamaguchi had filled him in everything he missed during his absence. Tsukishima nodded once in awhile as he listened to Yamaguchi. A surge of hot jitters spread to his entire body as Yamaguchi carefully told him about his supposedly romantic relationship with Hinata.

Bottom line, as he predicted before, the differences were only in his brother and Hinata.

Hinata Shouyou from Shiratorizawa. He had known that guy even before the switch. Imagine his shock when the supposed-to-be first day of school had turned into something akin to him getting a sudden amnesia. Where everyone knew him but he didn't know them. He had lost it when a mini-sized Hinata Shouyou appeared before him. And what's more? He sucked big time. All the rivalry-bordering-to-admiration vanished to the thin air.

Yet, now a dull envy settled in his gut. Looking to the draft Shimizu was working for their pamphlet, he noticed how Hinata's statistic surpassed everyone else's by quite a flying numbers.

**Hinata Shouyou**  
Height: 194.2 cm  
Fingertip height: 255 cm  
Jumping reach (spike): 353 cm  
Jumping reach (block): 330 cm

Tsukishima brought down his drinking bottle, still immersed in the draft Shimizu held. The skill difference was unnerving. Shiratorizawa really made considerable difference between this Hinata and the Shrimp Hinata.

Takeda suddenly came to the gym with a haste. The Teacher even looked out of breath. Sawamura called them all loudly to gather.

_Ah, the announcements_.

"Okay, I will cut the chase." Takeda started after receiving the boys' bows. "Kageyama-kun and Hinata, you have been invited to All Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp."

* * *

Tsukishima thought he knew to what degree 'graduating from Shiratorizawa' meant. But it seemed he had once again underestimated the implication. Hinata's statistic didn't really justify him.

So now, he openly stared at Hinata with astoundment over Yamaguchi's head. He didn't bother to listen to his senior's rambling about how awesome it was to get invited to such prestigious training camp.

He had literally seen it coming with Kageyama. He was curious of how this Hinata would react to the news. But, the strawberry-blond boy was also invited for the training camp.

Hinata smiled, a first true smile for awhile now. A part of Tsukishima relieved seeing that. Don't take him wrong, he just felt burdened with the mild wrongful guilt that hung behind his consciousness since he had been back. Guilt that he was not supposed having, since it wasn't his fault that everything happened between Hinata and _him_ just got snatched away.

"Tsu-Tsukki!" Yamaguchi whispered harshly.

"Huh?" He was still staring at Hinata who was now talking with their Captain.

"You are staring." The shorter boy uttered quietly.

As if slapped in the face, Tsukishima lowered his gaze. Praying that no one but Yamaguchi caught his act. "Oh."

"Why are you so surprised anyway? Hinata is really a monster on the court. Unlike the other one you told me." Yamaguchi sent the ex-Shiratorizawa a furtive glance behind him.

"I can see that." Tsukishima countered. "But you have mistaken something. _His_ Hinata is no less of a trouble."

"But still, I think our Hinata is still better." Yamaguchi proudly said, like a father.

"Right now, yes. But Shrimp's growth is unexpected."

"Our Hinata is still growing too." Yamaguchi grinned.

"Yeah, and his and Kageyama's talents give me the creeps." Suddenly, Ennoshita joined them.

"Not to mentions it's kind of unfair." Sugawara whined, yet no ill intention could be heard from his gripe.

"What are you talking about." Their Captain made a chop-punch to Sugawara's head.

"Ouch! Da-Daichi!" Sugawara spluttered. A bright blush adorned his face. Daichi never did that to him, it was his move.

"We see them at their prime time now." Daichi spoke. "But, we never see their journey to reach this point." He added as he stared to where Hinata and Kageyama were talking.

"Ah, yes.. Kageyama and Hinata have a common pasts, don't they?" Ennoshita supplied.

They grew from unpleasant experience. Or so what Yamaguchi had told him about Hinata's past. Kageyama's past was the same with the Kageyama in the other universe.

Something suddenly occurred in Tsukishima's head.

"Growing pain." Tsukishima mumbled to himself. "_His_ Hinata hasn't been through his growing pain." He mumbled to himself quietly, he couldn't even hear it unless he really strained his ears.

"Ah! And one more thing!" Takeda suddenly yelled. The boys gathered once again to hear what their teacher had to say. "Tsukishima-kun, you are invited to the Imitation Youth Training Camp!"

_Oh, yeah right. That thing is happening again._

"Imitation Youth Training Camp? What the hell is that?" Tanaka asked while tilting his head a little bit too far.

And so everything progressed like Tsukishima experienced before. Minus Hinata's envy stare.

* * *

As he suspected, his volleyball skill was better than the other Tsukishima. Despite his amnesiac state, he wanted to participate in the final against Shiratorizawa in the Spring Cup. After brief practice just to get the rhythm of the team, he dealt with the match very well. While the fact was, he had been around six months behind than their Tsukishima.

Apparently that guy hadn't been taking his volleyball practice seriously.

The training regimen was as vigorous as the one he had. But, without Hinata around getting pushed here and there, nothing could entertain him.

"Hey." Suddenly Kindaichi greeted him. A small towel hung by his neck. Tsukishima only nodded in his greeting.

"So, they are in Tokyo, huh?" Kindaichi mumbled.

"Hinata and Kageyama?"

"Yeah." Kindaichi then drank big gulps of water from his bottle. "Aren't you worried?"

Tsukishima turned to look at him square in the face. "What for?"

A blush suddenly dusted the turnip-haired boy. "Well, they are close, aren't they?"

Oh great, it seemed that this Kindaichi knew the relationship between _him_ and Hinata. Now, what would he say? How he would say that he and Hinata was not an item anymore? How to make it sound... natural?

But wait, what was Kindaichi's problem? Why did he feel bothered by Hinata's and Kageyama's closeness?

"Are you and Kageyama..." Tsukishima didn't need to finish his words when Kindaichi spluttered incoherent excuses.

Tsukishima sighed mentally. At least their focus was not in him and Hinata anymore. Kindaichi kept saying excuses and Tsukishima waited for him to get hold of himself back.

"But, really, I would like to join that camp too." Kindaichi ended his talk.

"Hinata deserved his spot in Tokyo." Suddenly Goshiki stood beside them. His eyes were as sharp as usual. "I've known him since middle school." He said. All the while held Tsukishima's stare firmly.

The blond surprised but didn't back down by the look from Goshiki. The bowl-haired boy then walked slowly away from them without saying anything.

"What was that?" Kindaichi asked to himself.

* * *

Tsukishima felt beaten. He had taken shower and now was sprawling in his bed enjoying the soreness and exhaustion came to him in waves. He had experienced this before and he experienced it again. It was unfair.

He looked at the ceiling. Something bugged his mind. Goshiki, somehow there was hostility in his stare. But what it was, he didn't know yet. Yet, Tsukishima was sure it was about Hinata.

Speaking of Hinata, he was actually curious how he was doing. The contrast was great and he could not help but wanting to know what happened in this universe Hinata during this time.

He wouldn't ask Hinata how he was doing, of course not. So he texted someone else who could give him information. Kageyama.

God, who would have imagined there was a time when he texting Kageyama?

Tsukishima: _How is he doing?_

He sent it and waited for a minute before the reply came.

Kageyama:_ Who?_

Tsukishima: _Obviously not you_

Kageyama: _Hinata? He is doing fine. Focus and got in the zone today_

Tsukishima sat up abruptly. Zone? He was able to enter the zone just like that? The Shrimp needed special push to get in the zone. And even then he was still clumsy.

Kageyama:_ What happened between you two?_

Tsukishima: _Not something I will tell you._

Kageyama: _It's bothering him_

Tsukishima: _I won't tell you._

Kageyama: _You will._

Tsukishima: _Want me to say your hi to Kindaichi?_

And Kageyama stopped texting him. What a good strategy to fend off Kageyama. He would remember it if in the future the need arise.

Tsukishima threw his back on the bed again. Feeling drowsiness slowly but surely creeping in to him. Ten minutes later the blond fell asleep.

**TBC**

* * *

Thanks for reading! Review? :3


	17. Not Yours

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you soooo much for still reading this fic. I am really sorry with the slow updates all this time but I can't help it. So, I can only hope that you guys will be happy with this chapter :3

**NOT YOURS**

_**The Universe with Small Hinata**_

The only thing Tsukishima grateful of this switching back was the timing. Well, not really, but if he seeked some kind comfort the timing was the only thing he had in mind. It saved him big time from exams. Yamaguchi told him that at the week before he came back, the end-of-year exam was held. Tsukishima released audible relieved sigh at that. At least he had a long time for catching up with the school lessons, spared him the stress. But, not the upset.

So, the next Monday Tsukishima decided to finally going to school. He had to accept it sooner or later. He had to face it. And a week running away, hiding in his room, was enough to gather his will power to face the reality. Besides, he had to convince his family that he was alright. He was sick with Dr. Watanabe's visits.

Yamaguchi informed him that there would be no lessons and practice since it was a cultural club festival day in Karasuno High School. So, his bag was light.

At least he didn't need to see Hinata. Not in a long period even if they meet.

Yamaguchi was on his door step when he opened his house door. The black-haired boy smiled brightly. Tsukishima, as usual, didn't really reply his smile. Instead he would usually retort of how Yamaguchi could be so happy when they had to wake up sooner.

But no retort came from him and Yamaguchi understood.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Hn." Was Tsukishima's answer. It wasn't a confirmation or objection. It was his way of saying that he didn't want to talk about it.

Yamaguchi turned on his heels, following him slightly behind. "You will be alright. You are strong, Tsukki."

... _Am I?_

* * *

The school buzzed with excitement. Students gathered in small groups. They were all busy tending their space. All at once the familiarity of the school in its relation to _him_ heavily crushed on Tsukishima. His mouth dry and his throat constricted. His arms and legs turned jelly. Low hysteria built in him and his fingers trembled with it. He looked around, hoping the impossible to happen, hoping a tall Hinata would greet him. Shit, he was losing himself now.

Instead of a tall Hinata, his classmates greeted him bouyantly. They looked relieved seeing him alright and remembered them. Getting all those attentions suffocated him a little. But, he welcomed it since it distracted him with the raising panic from before.

Tsukishima trailed Yamaguchi as the black-haired boy told him everything he thought Tsukishima needed to hear. While Yamaguchi knew bringing Tsukishima around during the festival wouldn't help him much, at least it could be a start. To get his mind anchored back to his real place, and distracted him from the other Hinata.

"Sport clubs are not joining?" Tsukishima asked as he noticed only the creative clubs joined. Cooking club also joined apparently. He knew by the faint delicious smell wafting in the air.

Yamaguchi smiled wide. "Yes, we are not joining." He was glad that Tsukishima finally seemed to pay attention to his surrounding and not drowned in his mind.

"We are going to visit their stands, right, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi encouraged.

Tsukishima averted his eyes from the black-haired boy to stare straight to another crowd.

"Hn." Frankly, he wanted to rest already.

* * *

They were wandering around for a good thirty minutes when suddenly Yamaguchi's eyes sparkled. Tsukishima looked where Yamaguchi's stare transfixed at and his eyebrows rose in skeptism when he spotted a fortune-telling stand. Complete with dark colored drapes decorated it.

"I didn't know we have that kind of club."

"One of our classmates joined that club, Tsukki. Arima-san, remember?"

"Really?" Tsukishima really couldn't recall anything.

"Oh," Yamaguchi scratched his un-itchy cheek. "The other guy was here when Arima-san showed us her tarot cards."

"I see." Tsukishima understood. Of course he didn't have any recollection of the said event. "Doesn't matter anyway. Let's go." Tsukishima was about to walk away when Yamaguchi grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Tsukki, let's visit their stand." Yamaguchi asked with a beaming face. It was so bright that Tsukishima thought his freckles might disappear. It was clear to Tsukishima how interested Yamaguchi to the fortune-telling stand.

He looked up to the stand again and most of the visitors are girls. It would be mildly embarrassing for his manly pride if they visited the stand.

"Come on, Tsukki. It won't take long." Yamaguchi urged him again.

"How do you know it won't take long?"

"Er," Yamaguchi's eyes fled his stare. "Hunch?"

Tsukishima sighed quietly. That was a futile attempt of Yamaguchi's to convince Tsukishima, but with that sparkling eyes even Tsukishima didn't have the heart to deny his request. "Fine."

Yamaguchi hissed a victorious yes before he dragged his tall friend. When they reached the tent everyone turned to look at them. Yamaguchi was far too drawn with the fortune-telling that he didn't realize how conspicuos Tsukishima was feeling in the small stand, with drapes all around, and girl students whispering to each other about questions they wished to ask. Well, at least their attention was elsewhere.

Automatically Yamaguchi went in line with, almost all, girl customers for their fortune to be read. Tsukishima glared at his so called bestfriend when Yamaguchi happily asked him to stand behind him in the line, oblivious with how embarrassed he made Tsukishima felt.

* * *

Tsukishima smiled triumphantly as the woman, seemed like a senior from their school who joined the club during her time in Karasuno, told Yamaguchi about his current crush. Yamaguchi spluttered incoherent reply as he flailed about. Seemed like he had not acted on his crush with Yachi yet.

Ten minutes after that, Yamaguchi rose from the stool and motioned to Tsukishima to take the seat. Tsukishima hesitantly sat on it and the woman looked intently at him. The woman, beneath the thin black veil, was wearing a white dress shirt and a black office skirt. Did she come here prior her shift in her work place or something? Another black veil covered her head and half of her face, leaving only her nose and lips visible to her client. Her juniors behind her seemed awe-struck at the _professional_ feel the woman exuded. One of them even took notes on how she performed.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Tsukishima." Why was he feeling even more embarrassed now? He turned his head to the back for a moment to see there was no one behind him in the line. The blond turned again to the woman and felt much better knowing no one would see him in this silly scene. The woman smiled knowingly at him. _Boys_.

"Okay, Tsukishima-kun, please take five tarots from my hand." The woman held out a set of spreaded tarots. She urged Tsukishima to start taking the cards.

Tsukishima quickly took five tarot cards randomly. He didn't think anything about it and just wanted it to be done as soon as possible.

The woman kept her knowing smile as she took the five cards from Tsukishima. This boy was different than any other students who came to their stand. Unlike boys who wanted to disclose their fortune-telling activity as a scam, yet underneath they actually believed her fortune-telling, this Tsukishima boy simply didn't believe her and didn't bother to care.

She might have not any magic power, but fortune-telling, for her, was something about heart and mind, to look deeper into other people.

"You know, I believe that there is no coincidence in this world." She said as she lined the five cards Tsukishima chose on her table. "Everything happens because it is meant to happen."

Tsukishima looked up. Her words struck something inside him.

"So these five cards are not here by coincidence." She stated as he pointed to the cards. "They will tell me something. Something that is meant to tell."

Tsukishima's eyebrow furrowed slightly. Was she speaking in riddle now?

The woman then fully turned her attention to the cards on the table. She touched the first card, flipped it over, and the tip of her lips turned upward.

"Interesting." She started. "You've been in a place you should not visit." She looked up beneath her black veil.

Tsukishima went pale. It was not invisible but the bitter taste he felt in his tongue told him he was pale now. What the woman said was a bit too close to hit home. Too close for comfort.

When Tsukishima didn't say anything, the woman flipped another card. This time she felt unsure.

"You carry something that is not yours." The woman said. She seemed cannot find the relation between the current and the previous cards.

Tsukishima's eyes furrowed. He also didn't know what that was about.

The woman felt that she met a dead end when she flipped the next card. Her head tilted to the side. She looked back and forth between the second and the third card.

"But you are bereft of something rightfully yours." The woman raised her head slightly and observed Tsukishima with obscured eyes. "Really intriguing."

She flipped the next card again. "Whatever you prefer, the world has its own mean for you. And that's the best." The woman elaborated. She felt confused with all the cards Tsukishima chose. All card seemingly had no particular meaning to her no matter at what angle she interpreted the cards. But seeing Tsukishima's guarded face, she knew it meant something big for the boy.

The last card was flipped and the woman looked up again under her veil. Tsukishima couldn't really see her face but he knew there was concern on her face. "Live on." She stated.

Tsukishima drew a long silent breath after that. The woman studied her discreetly as she took the five cards and put them back to its deck. Tsukishima's mind was jumbled with all the things the woman said. Some of them were incomprehensible but some others were spot on.

_There is no coincidence in this world._

Tsukishima was shaken from his reverie when the woman presented him the spreaded cards again, asking him to take five cards again with a question set in his mind.

Tsukishima eyed the cards but he couldn't think up something. He suddenly felt small and light. Tsukishima shoke his head slowly as he rose from his chair.

"I don't want to continue." He stated evenly. The woman smiled politely as if she expected it.

"It's fine." She said as she withdrew her cards.

* * *

"Kageyama, hurry!"

"Hinata stupid, the stand won't go anywhere!"

Tsukishima stood rigid. He was about to move the curtain away and leave the fortune-telling stand when those voices neared him. Yamaguchi looked up worriedly. Tsukishima signaled that he could handle it and they could just meet them straight away. Yamaguchi knew though, that they should leave quickly. Lessening any contact with Hinata.

"I want to see it quickly! So hu- OUCH!" Hinata stumbled back after colliding with Tsukishima. Who was still standing stiff. One hand raised to ward the curtain away from his path.

The smaller boy looked up as he caressed his cheek with resentment on his eyes. They brightened instantly after seeing whom he had bumped.

"Tsukishima, long time no see!" Hinata exclaimed. Excited since he thought Tsukishima had another episode of amnesia. "You know me, right?"

Tsukishima stared at the smaller boy. He anticipated heartache, depression, sadness, or any negative feeling known, you name it. But instead, he felt... neutral. It felt like seeing Hinata before the switch.

So, the most logical thing Tsukishima did was grabbing Hinata's head by the top of his head.

Hinata jerked, shocked with the sudden gesture. "Wha- Huh?"

"Hinata?" Tsukishima asked.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi felt complicated. He wanted to stop Tsukishima but seeing his bestfriend didn't look sad somehow made him wanting to let Tsukishima do anything he wanted.

The tallest boy then shook Hinata's head that the smaller boy yelled as he slapped Tsukishima's hand away.

"That makes me dizzy!" Hinata protested. His hands were combing his unruly hair. "Stupid." Hinata called.

Something snapped in Tsukishima's mind. Yamaguchi could cry in happiness when Tsukishima stepped forward to Hinata and glowered over the smaller boy. All intimidating with his height and look-at-yourself vibe.

"Who did you call stupid? Mr. One-Digit-for-Exam-Score?"

Hinata paled instantly and jumped away, hiding behind Kageyama. "He-he is back!"

"Yeah." Kageyama uttered, unimpressed. "The bastardly Tsukishima revived."

Argument soon started between the Blonde and the Raven. Yamaguchi had to physically drag Tsukishima as Hinata did to Kageyama.

Tsukishima huffed quietly after they were away from the odd duo, before he stopped abruptly in his track. He spun around to the stand where Hinata and Kageyama disappeared. His eyes narrowed and thinking.

"What is it, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima kept staring to the stand before turned to the freckled boy. "Is it just me or Hinata is not as short as before?"

"Ah, yes." Yamaguchi rapped his fingers. "The school nurse said Hinata may be starting his late growth spurt now. In three months he grew ten centimeters." Yamaguchi looked sideways, seemed annoyed for some reasons. "He is catching up to Tanaka-san's height."

* * *

_**Universe with Tall Hinata**_

For some reason, Goshiki looked irritated. He grumbled under his breath and even glared to a volleyball. No one in the camp actually cared but it was unusual for Goshiki to appear irked. Confident, yes. Irked, never. Koganegawa was about to ask the bowl-cut-haired boy what his problem was when Tsukishima's and Kunimi's flat stare combo petrified him.

Tsukishima and Kunimi didn't count for Kindaichi though.

"You look awful." Kindaichi said casually as he flopped down on the floor beside Goshiki.

If possible, Goshiki's grip on the innocent volleyball was getting tighter. "A practice match will be held this afternoon and I can't join!"

Tsukishima almost rolled his eyes.

So, when that noon Ushijima Wakatoshi approached him and asked Kuroo's number, he automatically assumed that Shiratorizawa's opponent in that afternoon's practice match was Nekoma. And the former Captain might want to arrange something with Kuroo as the opponent's captain. So Tsukishima gave it to him and was silently taken aback at the slightest smile on Ushijima's usual serious face.

Okay, that was new.

And... Why didn't he ask Kuroo's number from their manager?

* * *

The training camp was nothing new. The development was slightly different without Hinata around. But, Tsukishima wasn't bothered with that. He could be focus more during the drill.

Yet he kept wondering. How was it going with Hinata and Kageyama in Tokyo? Were they getting along? Would Kageyama become demanding after it like his other self? What would become of Hinata?

His smartphone was handled loosely in his hand. A small towel was around his neck. The warmth bath soothed his tired body but somehow made the aches more prominent.

Why was he thinking about Hinata again?

Tsukishima groaned as he closed his eyes, taking his glasses off and put them on his study desk. Ever since the training camp began his mind was sending him stupid thoughts. Like, what would it be like if he didn't get switched with the other guy? Would he and Hinata develop romantic relationship?

Things were all different yet alike because of the Hinatas.

Shit. He was thinking about Hinata again, wasn't he? And when did his finger tap on Kageyama's massage thread? What did he intend?

Shit. Again. He wanted to text Kageyama how Hinata was doing.

Tsukishima jerked on his bed when his phone suddenly went off from a message. Speak of the devil, he stared blankly on Kageyama's name. The setter just sent him a message.

Kageyama: _How is Kindaichi?_

Tsukishima snorted.

Tsukishima: _Why don't you ask him by yourself?_

There was no answer from the setter for a couple of minutes. Tsukishima massage the side of his forehead thinking that Kageyama couldn't find any comebacks to that. So, he took pity and decided to answer his question from before. Besides, Kageyama told him about Hinata the other day.

Tsukishima: _He is fine. Practicing hard like everyone else._

Kageyama: _Hinata is fine too. He is brightening again._

Tsukishima stopped his finger from replying seeing Kageyama's latest message. Understandable, Kageyama would have assumed that Tsukishima still wanted to know how Hinata was doing.

Damn. Damn it all. He became too self-conscious about Hinata.

Tsukishima turned his phone off and get ready for bed.

* * *

Tsukishima couldn't believe his eyes. Well, not exactly his eyes. But his dream-self's eyes.

Why was he in the star-painted room again? Was it really painted? Then how the stars moved as if he was in a glass-walled chamber?

Or perhaps that was really the case.

A loud thud came from behind him and Tsukishima turned around. His eyes widened seeing a very familiar figure standing there. The other guy was banging on the invisible barrier that separated them. His lips made a thin line in annoyance for the invisible thing that separated them

"Damn!"

Tsukishima's eyebrows rose. He had been in this place before. So it came out as a surprise when finally he could hear something from the other side.

"Can you hear me?" Tsukishima asked his other self.

The angry-looking Tsukishima looked up from his fists. Surprise was written on his face. "Yes. Can you?"

Tsukishima suddenly felt giddy. He never had any chance to interact with his other self. Suddenly able to hear one another was a big treat for him. "Yes." Tsukishima almost grinned.

* * *

"How is he doing?"

Both Tsukishimas were sitting down before the invisible barrier. The other guy from the universe with short Hinata had checked the barrier and found no opening in it. Tsukishima himself wasn't so eager to find one so he suggested that they sit and chat.

"Hinata? He will be fine." Tsukishima said. "If he is the same with the Shrimpy over there, I'm sure he will be okay."

"Why are you calling him Shrimpy? You know he is starting his growth spurt, right?"

"I know. But it only started three months ago. Before that, he was a shrimp." Tsukishima shrugged nonchalantly.

There was a long pause. Tsukishima knew the other guy had so many things in his mind, as seen by the narrow gap between his eyebrows and his wandering but vacant eyes. But, apparently he didn't know how to express it. So Tsukishima waited for whatever it was going to come from the Tsukishima of the other side.

"Is he really okay?" The other guy slowly looked at to him again.

Tsukishima's eyes softened. To see the person who was essentially him to act like this could only mean he was seriously saddened with their situation. He couldn't understand how the other Tsukishima felt but he could sympathize nonetheless.

"He is upset with our switch. It will take time, but I believe he will overcome this. Just like you will." Tsukishima said. Purposefully emphasizing the "like you will" part.

"Yeah." The other guy nodded solemnly. More to ensure himself than Tsukishima "Please say that he needs to take care of himself and move on."

"I will."

"Besides, whatever happened between I and him should never occured naturally in the first place." The other guy added. "So, he really needs to move on."

"Okay."

"I also didn't have the chance to properly say my goodbye. So, say my goodbye to him?"

"Of course. Don't worry."

The other Tsukishima clucked his tongue, eyes narrowed. "You really don't care about him, do you?"

Tsukishima blinked. He never thought it over but being confronted directly about his take on Hinata regarding all this stuff made him realized, that despite being not entirely not caring, he had acted indifferent. Tsukishima thought hard about it before opening his mouth, knowing it was a sensitive matter to the other blonde.

"I have known Hinata even before the switch. I know him as a skillful middle blocker. I looked up to him. Then I was forced to get acquinted with Shrimpy over there whose skill in volleyball was close to none. I acted carelessly around him since he is easily cowering under my intimidation."

"Then, I was forced to deal with this side Hinata, who is the same but has slightly different mental state, frankly he looks scary to anger. So I don't know how to relate to this Hinata. I feel like I am treading on an egg shell. His state now, is not fit for us to interact. And besides, I don't want to give him false hope by trying to cheer him up or something."

The other Tsukishima seemed to see his points and looked slightly to the side instead. The silence after that stretched. Both busy with their minds that the silence didn't really bother them.

"But, just tell him that he really needs to move on. And say my goodbye."

Tsukishima nodded slowly. "I will."

The other Tsukishima took a shuddering breath and leaned forward until his forehead touched the invisible barrier between them.

"I will also tell him you love him. If you wish." Tsukishima said as he put his palm instead on the barrier right where Tsukishima's head was, as if wanting to ruffle the other's hair in a comforting gesture.

Then slowly the universe around them moved frantically. Neither felt panic at that and instead they instinctively knew that it was their cue to wake up to their respective worlds.

The other Tsukishima raised his head and put his palm on the barrier as well. Their hands looked like clasped to each other but the invisible barrier felt like a four-inches-glass between their hands.

"By the way, you have ruined my image." The other Tsukishima said with a small smirk.

"And you darkened mine." Tsukishima rolled his eyes.

"I have made yours cooler."

A spark suddenly went through Tsukishima body. He looked up in surprise to see a slight jerk from the other Tsukishima that indicated that he felt the shock as well. The guy scrunched his eyes shut and Tsukishima was about to ask him when suddenly foreign images appeared in his head.

Images mostly about his teammates, his family, summer camp in Tokyo, Akiteru and his overprotectiveness during Hinata's sleepover. It was as if he experienced all the scenes in the images, as if they all occured to him. He sensed it all, cold, hot, sweet, and bitter, as if his own senses that had been in contact with all those stimulations. He felt it, the laughter, the frustration, the exhaustion, the silliness of his teammates...

... the love.

* * *

_"You carry something that is not yours."_

_"But you are bereft of something rightfully yours." _

Memories and experiences.

**TBC**

Thanks for reading everyone! Review?


	18. Settle Back

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu! and its characters nor I make any money by this fic.

* * *

**SETTLE BACK**

* * *

**The Universe with Short Hinata**

Tsukishima cover his face with his hands. His breath was calm but his eyes frantic as the images he got from his dream kept flashing before his eyes. He could feel everything that he reckoned the other Tsukishima felt at the time all those things happened. It felt like those images were his own memories. He also heard echoes of foreign sounds in his head, still from the other guy's memory.

Tsukishima lowered his hands and fisted them on his blanket instead. He focused on filtering those images. He tried to delve to the memory about Hinata only.

He suddenly _remembered_ when out of nowhere Hinata showed Kageyama how his shirt became short on him. And in a matter of a month he needed a complete upgrade of his wardrobe. He also could _remember_ how Nishinoya yelled dramatically to Hinata "Traitor!" when he showed the team the result of the school regular medical check-up that had a special note in it regarding his late growth spurt. Hinata beamed brightly for the whole week after that. But, it didn't last long.

With how fast he grew, his body apparently couldn't keep up completely. He had lost his agility since then. Hinata still had his fast reflex but he lacked the agility to keep up with it to make it useful. He knew what was happening and he willed himself to move, but his body just couldn't produce the speed like he previously had when he was still below 170s centimeters.

It frustrated him so much that he stopped doing extra practice with Kageyama after the afternoon practice. Saying he had a part-time job.

And he lost his place in the regular line-up.

Tsukishima looked at his side and it was too early in the morning for school, especially since they wouldn't have morning practice with the festival still being held.

Tsukishima sighed. Such irony, how Hinata wanted to be tall and now he got the height but he lost his most powerful arsenal. His speed.

Is he going to be okay?

* * *

The festival went like the previous day and somehow it bored some of the students, including Tsukishima. He and Yamaguchi met Nishinoya and Tanaka. The two seniors had already planned to sneak into the gym and do some practice. Kageyama, with Hinata trailed not too far away, popped out of thin air and excitedly agreed to their plan. Tanaka reminded them though, that they'd better pray so their mighty Captain, Ennoshita, wouldn't find out.

* * *

Tsukishima watched them practicing lightly. They didn't bring any practice clothes so they needed to avoid getting too sweaty. Tsukishima did some spike and blocking to kill the time.

And finally he witnessed with his own eyes, not from some kind of bequest from the other guy, how Hinata was indeed much taller than he remembered. He was not around Kageyama's height, yet, but he definitely more or less around Tanaka's height now. Yet, what was more prominent than his height was the fact that the strawberry-blonde could only spike regular toss from Kageyama. He couldn't also follow a quick ball from the opposite group and late in blocking them.

In the middle of the practice, Hinata called it off and packed himself up. Kageyama didn't say anything, partly because he didn't know what to say. The rest could only watch as Hinata hoisted his bag and waved his hand good-bye.

Driven by impulse alone, Tsukishima took his duffle bag and haphazardly put his gakuran in it, along with a bottle of water.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi stared in confusion as his bestfriend stood up and walked briskly to the gym door.

"I have to do something." Tsukishima informed the dark haired boy. He didn't wait for Yamaguchi's response nor did he want to know the other facial expression seeing him intending to catch up to Hinata.

* * *

"Hinata!" Tsukishima called. Inside his head, his brain stopped working. He didn't understand what he was doing or what he was going to do.

Hinata turned around and he blinked in surprise. "Tsukishima?"

_Okay, brain, you are smart. Think something up. _

His brain decided that he needed to know what Hinata's part-time job was.

"May I borrow your notebook?"

"... Huh?"

"I lost mine."

"... What?" Hinata wide-eyedly stared at him as if he grew another head.

"What?" Tsukishima shrugged.

"You, Tsukishima Kei, asked for my notebook?" Hinata's wide eyes showed how unbelievable it sounded.

"Yes."

Hinata just stood there for a moment. He then leaned back as if trying to make as much space as possible between him and the taller boy.

"Okay..." Disbelief was still clear in his eyes. "What subject?"

"Kanji." said Tsukishima simply.

Hinata nodded as he proceeded to take his book from his bag. "Good thing I brought it with me-"

"No! It's English."

"I bring it too so-"

"I mean History."

Hinata looked up. His face comically full of accusation, thinking Tsukishima was messing up with him.

"Hold on." said Hinata as he stretched out his arm toward Tsukishima. "Do you really want to borrow my notebook because you lost yours or do you want to see my notebook to mock me?"

"Well," Tsukishima folded his arms. His smart brain had finished formulating a very convincing excuse. "We will be second years soon. I just want to check how you are keeping up with your study. Imagine our _kouhai _know that their _Hinata-senpai _doesn't keep good notes about his study."

Tsukishima shrugged as he added. "You don't want to show bad examples to your _kouhai_, right? I can check it and point out what you lack."

As expected Hinata stood rigid at the mention of being a senpai soon. His face beamed gradually before he faked a cough to hide his proud blush.

"Now you mention it, it couldn't be helped. I will show you my notebook."

Tsukishima never felt this grateful that Hinata was such an air head. The smaller boy had completely forgotten that the current academic year would be ended next week and thus revising his notes would do nothing for his grades.

"But my notebook is in my house." Hinata said. "And I have a job after school."

Yes, this was what Tsukishima wanted. "I will be waiting until you finish your job."

Hinata looked up skeptically. "Are you sure? My work place is not comfortable to sit around."

Tsukishima shrugged again. "I can endure."

Hinata squint his eyes. "Tsukishima, you are being creepy."

Tsukishima ignored him as he walked by "See you when school finishes."

"Okay!" Hinata called behind him.

Tsukishima himself didn't understand on what impulse he wanted to know about this Hinata. It just, after receiving memory from the other guy, which was supposed to be his in the first place, he felt intrigued.

There was something in him that made him cared about Hinata. Tsukishima didn't know what. Was it because of his feeling toward the tall Hinata that made him felt the same pull with this Hinata? Especially now with the absence of the tall Hinata?

But deep down Tsukishima was sure that it was not the case. It wasn't because of the tall Hinata's absence.

* * *

The festival for the day finished a little bit too late for Tsukishima's rattled nerves. All day long he was thinking about this Hinata. Nothing particular was in his mind about the strawberry blond but there was something deep in his heart kept nagging him.

So when the bell rang, usually for lunch but since there was no lesson so the students were dismissed sooner, Tsukishima sprang from his chair. He didn't look for Yamaguchi. He had told his intention about finding out what Hinata did for his part-time job.

Tsukishima found Hinata at the door of the smaller boy's classroom. Hinata blinked and a funny smile was tugging at his lips.

"Are you okay? Why are you so eager?"

Tsukishima only needed to narrow his eyes, causing Hinata yipped and walked ahead.

* * *

"Public bath?"

"Yes, it just opened a couple of months ago. It's my relative's business. So I am helping out. I got pocket money from here too." Hinata grinned as he motioned for Tsukishima to follow him.

"So, are you manning the cashier or something?" Tsukishima looked around. The place was Japanese-styled with a touch of minimalist. Just a regular public bath, but since in that area there had not been one before the business worked soundly.

"No." Hinata grinned. "I work at the back."

"The back? What are you doing at the back?" Never in Tsukishima's life had he felt that he asked too much.

* * *

It turned out that Hinata's work was cutting the logs for the hot bath. Why the logs? Didn't they have electric machinery to heat the water?

Tsukishima waited as Hinata changed his clothes. He looked around and there was indeed a big pile of logs.

Again, why logs? They are living in electronic era!

"Alright." Hinata suddenly emerged from the main building and took an axe.

"Hinata, you know how to use that, right." Tsukishima asked. Feeling ridiculous the longer he witnessed Hinata, taller as he was, hoisting an axe and prepared himself to cut the logs.

"Of course! I've been doing this for two months!" Hinata pouted, feeling offended that Tsukishima underestimated him with his axe-handling skill.

And so Tsukishima took a seat on some boulder. Watching Hinata cutting log after log with an axe. His motion looked trained but his innate clumsiness would show once in awhile.

It never occurred to Tsukishima that Hinata did labor job. It was... Tsukishima could not find the word, but the closest would be fascinating, in a way. It was too surreal. And ridiculous. He suddenly felt embarrassed for being there and just watching Hinata.

By the way, what is Hinata doing in the other side?

Tsukishima closed his eyes. He looked down to his feet. There was no way he could know that.

"Ah, Tsukishima." Hinata suddenly called from where he was standing.

"Hm?" the blonde didn't raise his head.

"Yachi-san said that we will have a practice match this Friday. With Aoba Jousai."

"Oh." His mind instantly went to Kageyama. "Interesting."

After that there was no exchange between them for a long while. Tsukishima looked down to his feet, eyes vacant as he swum into the memory from the other Tsukishima. Tsukishima closed his eyes and sighed, seeing before his eyelids the struggle Hinata have been having since his growth spurt.

Kageyama for once had been supportive and didn't scold Hinata for his apparent slowness. It wasn't something he could do about. Tanaka had been the caring and understanding one to Hinata.

So, there was also a time when Hinata lashed out to Kageyama, saying that Kageyama didn't give him the usual toss. The Raven defended himself by saying he was only matching Hinata's speed. This in turn angered Hinata. Unexpectedly it was Ennoshita, their current Captain, who subdued Hinata with strict words.

Tsukishima also saw how Hinata failed again and again to do their super fast quick.

Without his usual speed and agility, Hinata had nothing to secure his position in the regular line-up. Coach had snatched the position away from Hinata one evening and he resigned fully with it. As if expecting it would happen sooner or later.

And yet, Hinata insisted on trying to spike their super quick. Kageyama complied but Tsukishima could see doubt all over his face.

"Say, Hinata." Tsukishima started as he looked up. Hinata stopped his log-cutting and wiped his sweat with the small towel around his neck. Wait, since when did he get that sweaty?

"Huh?"

"As a middle blocker, you can just make blocking as your weapon, right?" Tsukishima said it casually. But, it looked like it had hit a sour spot.

Hinata's eyes darkened. Tsukishima blinked and his shoulders tensed. That aura. The same gripping aura he felt with the tall Hinata when he was ticked off was around the shorter boy now.

"I will not run away." Hinata stated firmly.

* * *

**Universe with Tall Hinata**

Tsukishima held his head as if afraid that it would fall off of his neck. His eyes opened but not seeing. Images flashed right before his eyes. At the same time he was barraged with immense combination of feelings and emotions. And he understood that he was getting the memory from the other guy during his stay. What he did not understand was despite it was only like an exchange of memory, there was one feeling persisted. And the Blond didn't want to admit it, but the persistent feeling could as well be called love.

That guy's feeling for Hinata.

Tsukishima brought his hands to cover his face. He cursed his bad luck. He felt his face got warm as he remembered the night Hinata spend to calm the other Tsukishima from his dreams. It was... Touching.

Yamaguchi... He needed to talk with Yamaguchi.

* * *

Afternoon came and the feeling was still there. Would it just go away already? This was so distracting because he kept on thinking about Hinata. And how would Hinata react if he knew about it?

"_What do you want, Tsukki?"_ Yamaguchi had asked him after he finished his story. The shorter boy looked concerned. It usually was a simple question. But right then it was the most complicated question he ever needed to answer. What did he want after this? With this memory and feeling pestering him. Right then Tsukishima didn't have an answer. So he focused back to the training camp and did his best to follow the instructions from the coaches.

Shiratorizawa's Senior Coach had announced that since it was their last day in the training camp, they would have a five-rounded match with Shiratorizawa regulars.

It would be tiring but he was actually looking forward to it. Not that he let it show, not with Koganegawa had seen him smirking when the Coach announced it.

But not all of them will be playing. They have to draw lot. Coincidentally Tsukishima, Goshiki, Kindaichi, Kunimi, Koganegawa, and Hyakuzawa would be playing. Unfortunately none of the liberos was going to join.

Tsukishima chuckled in a self-deprecating manner. They would be roasted.

And roasted they were. The regulars, except Goshiki, of Shiratorizawa beat them in the first three matches. The first years thought it was over since the Shiratorizawa regulars had won three out of five matches. But Washijou suddenly barked out orders to prepare themselves for the fourth match.

"But, Coach, we have lost." Goshiki said. Seemed like he had become the sacrificial lamb when it come to negotiating with the Senior Coach.

"So what? I said you are going to have a five-rounded match. I never said about if one side won three of them the game would be over. Never said that. So drink up and back to your position!"

What a Spartan.

* * *

By the beginning of the fourth round, it was apparent that Koganegawa and Hyakuzawa would be running out of stamina soon. Tsukishima looked at Kunimi and found the same calculating stare on his feature shifting to Koganegawa and Hyakuzawa. Tsukishima felt that he was doing okay, but Kindaichi and Goshiki were still high with their stamina. Of course, they had participated in more five-rounded games than he had.

Tsukishima looked at the Senior Coach and he still seemed as composed as before. Tsukishima believed that Coach Washijou knew the condition of the two first years but he didn't speak up about it. The old man then met his gaze and smirked as if telling him that he expected this development and he had something up his sleeves.

"Sorry for the intrusion!"

Two figures by the door of the gym bowed. The match automatically paused as the players turned to see who the new comers were. Tsukishima's heart skipped a beat as he saw the orange tresses. He didn't need to see their faces. He knew by heart their figures.

The two boys straightened and Tendou hollered in excitement. Semi mumbled that Hinata seemed had not been eating well.

"Hinata!" Goshiki called happily.

"Kageyama?" Kunimi wondered aloud. Kindaichi looked speechless, just like Tsukishima.

Suddenly foreign images appeared before Tsukishima. All the memories the other guy shared with this Hinata flooded him again. And this stubborn feeling resurfaced as if telling him happily that it was not going to leave him alone anytime soon.

Tsukishima felt jittery seeing Hinata now. He didn't know how to act around him. He dreaded interacting with Hinata. Not with this feeling. He would do or say something stupid that make everything between them worse.

But, the notion if avoiding Hinata didn't appeal him. Shit, what should he do?

* * *

Jouzenji coach approached the weird duo. Kageyama and Hinata nodded and started preparing themselves. The coach also supervised their warm up. Kageyama met Tsukishima's eyes and nodded in greetings. His face red when he saw Kindaichi.

"That... Kageyama... Tobio?" Koganegawa wheezed. Tsukishima reckoned he would be substituted out soon.

"Yeah." Tsukishima answered as he tried to look everywhere else but Hinata.

"Ohhh." Koganegawa wheezed again. "What is he doing here?"

It was so tempting to say, _to substitute you of course_, but Tsukishima was not in the mood. Not with his mind occupied fully with how to act normally around Hinata.

Washijou called them again, clapping furiously to get their attention back and continued the game.

* * *

As expected Hyakuzawa and Koganegawa were substituted out from the game. They looked like they wanted to protest but even for talking they needed to take one minute before opening their mouth. And by that time Kageyama had took the ball and getting himself used to it, Hinata was beside the setter, stretching his right arm and conversing with Jouzenji's coach.

"You are going to play wing spiker, Hinata-kun."

"I understand. I played wing spiker before. Well, only a few times but I know what I do as wing spiker." Hinata grinned amiably.

The Coach nodded, satisfied with his response. "Good to hear that. Alright, get into the court." He said before walking to Washijou.

"Yes!" Hinata and Kageyama enthusiastically responded.

* * *

Kageyama and Hinata joined the court. Kageyama walked to Tsukishima while Hinata approached Goshiki. A part of Tsukishima's relieved that Hinata didn't joined him and Kageyama, but another part he felt... Unpleasant.

"Can you do back attack?" Kageyama suddenly asked.

The blond raised his eyebrows at that. What was the King wanted now?

"I never practice it." He answered. Kageyama solemnly nodded at that. The setter then looked up to Kindaichi and Kunimi who were talking lowly between themselves. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow at the calm response.

"It's not like you at all, Ou-sama." Tsukishima smirked, expecting stupid retaliation from the raven because of the title. But what he got from Kageyama was nothing like that. Kageyama's reaction gave him a churn in his stomach.

The setter looked up at him swiftly, wide-eyed, almost terrified.

The Blond dropped his teasing immediately. "What is it?" Tsukishima asked. Poker face concealed his concern.

Kageyama looked away as soon as he realized what just happened. "Nothing."

Tsukishima stared on. Well, if Ou-sama wanted it that way then so be it. Tsukishima naturally wasn't someone who was easily interested to someone else's drama. So he didn't press on it. Instead he had a question for Kageyama.

"By the way," Tsukishima started, genuinely curious. "Why are you here?"

Kageyama bounced the ball to the floor several times before he took it with both his hands. "Our coach in Tokyo told us that someone from Shiratorizawa will meet us in Miyagi's station. And the guy took us here. To up the first year's standard or something."

Tsukishima frowned. He didn't want to admit it but hearing that offended him a little. It was clear that the Coaches thought that Kageyama and Hinata are better than them.

Well, that was true. But still...

* * *

"Shirabu." Tendou suddenly called the second year setter.

"Yes?"

"You said that Karasuno's setter is Oikawa's junior?"

"Correct."

"Kitagawa Daiichi?"

"Yes."

Tendou's grin split his face. "Aah, so it was him. It will be easy then."

"Easy?"

"That kid won't give any back tosses except for the Glasses Boy and Hinata." Tendou grinned madly.

* * *

Kindaichi looked like he wanted to say something to their new setter, but held himself back when Hinata joined the front line, together with Kageyama and Tsukishima.

"Focus." Kindaichi heard Kunimi said beside him.

"I know." The taller boy replied, ignoring the questioning look from Goshiki who was already in receiving position in his other side.

* * *

Goshiki easily got Semi's serve up and he looked really happy about it. Tsukishima wanted to point out that maybe the Coach had told the upperclassmen to hold their serves back. Because if they served with all they had, the match would end with just Ushijima's serves. And perhaps Semi's too.

Kageyama went to his setting position quickly. Tendou was already preparing himself to block Kunimi who was in the left side. Kindaichi ran up as fast as he could and jumped for a spike in the right side, which was behind Kageyama. Tsukishima, who was at the back row together with Hinata and Goshiki, felt confidently certain that they would get this one ball since no one went to block Kindaichi. Kageyama just needed to give the middle blocker a back toss and they would score.

... A back toss.

A sudden dread washed over Tsukishima as he realized what it was for Kageyama. He looked to his right where Hinata looked relaxed. Apparently he was thinking exactly the same as Tsukishima had been, certain that they would score this.

"_Can you do back attack?"_

The blond's eyes narrowed when he saw the wide eyes and trembling fingers of their setter.

"Hinata's back attack!" Tsukishima suddenly shouted. Surprising Hinata and waking Kageyama from his memory trap.

Good thing that Hinata had unbelievable fast reflex as he sprang to life the moment Kageyama set to him.

The change was swift that no one was able to react. Hinata's spike was as strong as usual that Yamagata couldn't save the ball with his unprepared stand. Tendou's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Goshiki whooped and he high-fived Hinata. Tsukishima wiped the sweat on his forehead. Kageyama looked relieved but troubled all the same.

Tsukishima frowned when Kindaichi approached their setter.

"Why didn't you toss to me? I was free!" Kindaichi exclaimed. His face was red to his neck from exertion as much as affliction.

Kageyama glared but didn't seem to going to react violently like he would to Tsukishima or Hinata.

"Their libero guarded you." Kageyama said.

"Bullshit!" Kindaichi lashed his arm to the side.

"Hey! My back attack scored us. What's the matter?" Hinata said as he went to stand between Kageyama and Kindaichi.

"Stay away from this, Hinata." Kunimi said as he approached Kageyama from behind. The smaller wing spiker knew what this was about.

"Haha, I would like to see you move Hinata away." Tsukishima said good-humoredly. Yet, Kunimi stopped his step when the Blond stood obscuring his path to Kageyama. "Hinata is heavy, you know." He said it conversationally but his eyes were colder than usual.

"But he hasn't been eating well! I can see it!" Semi's voice echoed in the gym from the other side of the net. Ohira shushed the setter quickly.

None of the Coaches even try to come between them. Washijou knew what happened and he couldn't just barge in into such delicate matter. As long as they did not start any fight, he could wait.

Several seconds into intense silence, Kageyama finally said. "I tossed to Hinata because Kunimi was marked by their middle blocker and their libero had clear visual of you. Hinata didn't have anyone guard him."

"But it was a last minute decision! You didn't call for it! Tsukishima did! You are saying that just as an excuse!" Kindaichi frustratedly shouted. After all, this was the first time he played in a same team with Kageyama. They could rebuild their trust after what happened during their third year in Kitagawa Daiichi.

Wait...

Kindaichi suddenly calmed down as he stared at Kageyama above Hinata's shoulder. "Wait, is it because of that time?"

Kageyama looked away from Kindaichi and didn't say anything at that.

"You didn't toss to me because of that time? Are you having your revenge now? You are childish Kageyama!"

"Oi! It's not like that!" Hinata stepped forward to Kindaichi.

"Hinata..." Kageyama had his hand gripped Hinata's upper arm, holding him back.

"What do you know, Hinata?" Kindaichi gritted his teeth. "So, Ou-sama, are you having fun taking your revenge now?" The Turnip-headed boy glared.

"Tsk, I can't believe you still don't get it, Kindaichi." Tsukishima began. He was still facing Kunimi so Kindaichi only had the view of his back. "Kageyama couldn't toss to you because you are at his back. He couldn't see you." Tsukishima simply said. Kageyama peered at him, knowing very well that Tsukishima knew what happened back then but still able to come up with a plausible excuse.

"Kageyama can still toss even if he doesn't see the spiker. He did that a lot." Kindaichi said again. But he seemed much calmer.

"Well, with Karasuno members, Kageyama has practiced a lot so he doesn't have much problem synching up." Hinata thought out loud.

Kindaichi narrowed his eyes. But he couldn't object to the idea. It was possible. And the stares he was getting from everyone, especially from Ushijima from the other side of the court, subdued his anger.

"Alright, can we continue?" Goshiki asked.

"_Oh, he was there."_ All of them minded.

* * *

Until the end, Kageyama didn't do any back toss except when both Hinata and Tsukishima were in the front line. Tsukishima's excuse justified his action and no one commented on it further.

The three Karasuno boys walked out from Shiratorizawa campus. No one said anything but the heavy feeling lingered in the air. Tsukishima knew the truth while Hinata just had a feeling of what was really happened to Kageyama that time.

Kageyama stared ahead to the road, seemed neutral but the hard lines in his forehead showed a great deal of contemplation. Hinata gave him time, he was sure Kageyama would tell them. While Tsukishima, he already knew so he was not as eager as Hinata to finding the truth.

"I couldn't toss to them." Kageyama finally said. His voice was strained. "I couldn't toss to them unless I see them going for the spike. I..." He trailed.

Kageyama's hands turned into fists. Seemingly hating himself for he couldn't find a better word. "I don't trust them with back tosses." He scrunched his eyes shut.

Tsukishima knew, Hinata understood, that the memory from that game in Kageyama's Kitagawa Daiichi's days replayed the moment he was about to give a back toss to Kindaichi. And he just couldn't. His logic told him that Kindaichi would spike it, but his heart wasn't convinced. His hands freeze and he stopped breathing for a second. Until Tsukishima called for Hinata's back attack.

"Trust is something you build for a long time." Hinata said as he put his large hand on top of the depressed setter. "But take so little to break it. And once it breaks, you can't just amend it without effort from both sides." Hinata shrugged.

"Woah, are you really Hinata?" Tsukishima smiled sarcastically. But the smile faltered when Hinata turned sideway to see him apathetically.

Everything came in waves to Tsukishima again. The feeling resurfaced and it hurt so damn much seeing the uncaring stare Hinata sent his way. His shoulder squared and his eyes widened without his consent. The inside of his mouth felt bitter and his hands went languish at his sides.

Hinata blinked seeing the unexpected reaction from this Tsukishima. Hurt was evident in those familiar honey-colored eyes and it punched his conscience. What happened? This Tsukishima shouldn't be affected by his disinterest. In fact he should feel relieved that Hinata stopped hoping for anything affectionate between them. So, what was it with the pain in his eyes?

"Oi, Hinata." A growl from the shortest boy among them took his attention again. There were vein lines on Kageyama's face. "How dare you putting your hand on my head!" Kageyama yelled before reaching Hinata's face, intended very much to claw his eyes out.

"Wait! I was just transferring my positive energy to you!"

"Like hell you were!"

And the bicker continued.

* * *

Kageyama didn't miss the slight worried glances Hinata sent to Tsukishima and the troubled-eyes Tsukishima had the whole walk home.

**TBC**

Thank you for reading! Review?


	19. This Hinata Shouyou

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Haikyuu and never make any money by this fic.

Thank you so much for my reviewers!

By the way, this chapter only reveals about Tsukishima with the Short Hinata. Next chapter we will have the conclusion for Tsukishima and the Tall Hinata.

* * *

**THIS HINATA SHOUYOU**

**The Universe with Short Hinata**

The greetings were short and Seijou immediately prepared themselves. Coach Ukai approached Seijou's Coach and the younger man bowed slightly in his greeting. Everything was civil even with the Captains of both teams. Tsukishima snorted to himself. He didn't think if Oikawa was here it would be this peaceful.

"Hinata." Kindaichi jogged to the Weird Duo who were chatting about how the sun always rise in the east. Hinata turned and a big grin plastered on his face.

The taller boy smiled lop-sidedly. "We will win this time again." He challenged. Oddly his eyes focus on Kageyama rather than to the person he was speaking with.

"Challenge accepted." Hinata nodded seriously with light healthy rivalry.

Then silence enveloped them. Tsukishima turned around in wonder how those two big-mouthed kids got this quiet. He observed them silently.

There was a big question hanging in the air. Both Kindaichi and Hinata knew it but Kindaichi wouldn't ask it and neither Hinata was in the mood to acknowledge it.

_Are you going to play in this game?_

Apparently not.

Yahaba called his teammates for a short briefing and Kindaichi nodded to Hinata before jogged to his Captain. Hinata stared on to them before turning around and went to the bench area. He mostly kept his face neutral, but when he thought no one was looking, the frustration and anger appeared clearly. He clutch his short and bit his lower lip to stop himself from screaming his exasperation.

"Tsukki." Yamaguchi called. Tsukishima turned to his bestfriend to see a worried frown on the black-haired boy's face. He was looking straight to where Tsukishima was holding the ball. "Ennoshita-san called." He said before slowly took the ball from Tsukishima's tight grip. The message had clearly gotten across between them. _You are hurting yourself with the way you held it._

"Right." Tsukishima said as he went to the Captain and all the regulars. He walked quickly, mostly to avoid Yamaguchi's questioning stare. Yamaguchi looked at his back, still with number 11. He then turned to see Hinata in the bench area. The smaller boy was stretching his arms, still getting prepared in case someone couldn't continue.

* * *

It must be really frustrating for Hinata. Seeing the team fought against one of their most heated rival from the bench area. The Strawberry Blond could do nothing but cheering on the team together with Yamaguchi. And he always had a longing look whenever Yamaguchi was called to serve.

Aoba Jousai won in this practice match. But Ennoshita declared calmly to Yahaba that they would get the next one. They always did.

Tsukishima looked on when Hinata yelled his goodbye and hurriedly climbed on his bike and rode away. How long he had endured this again? Tsukishima didn't really want to _remember_ it.

* * *

If everyone thought that facing Aoba Jousai would upset Hinata the most, they just didn't remember that there was Nekoma. It was an off-season time, there was no official tournament drawing near, so to keep the team sharp, there was only with practice matches. It was Friday in the following week that Nekoma would come to Miyagi and have a practice match with them.

Yachi tried to make a small talk with Hinata, to know how he was doing after hearing the news. The Strawberry Blond smiled and laughed lightly but they didn't reach his eyes. Ennoshita was quiet the whole time, thinking very hard what to say to Hinata. But they were all silenced by Hinata himself.

"I am fine Yachi-san. I understand and it's no one's fault that I can't be on the court now. I just need to get better to regain a spot in the regular line-up. I appreciate the gesture, but you don't need to trouble yourself to cheer me up. I am fine." He said gently to the girl.

Yachi and Yamaguchi teared up. Tsukishima was slightly amazed by it, just like the rest of the team. But come to think of it, Hinata once in awhile did show some degree of deep understanding on things that other people failed to even see. So it shouldn't become a big surprise. Hinata wasn't that dumb. He stared at Hinata with a soft gaze and a tiny smile, suddenly feeling affectionate.

And he felt a sudden doom when Hinata stared back at him with wide and frightened eyes. The smaller Middle Blocker caught him looking at him like that. Hinata opened his mouth, intended to ask Tsukishima why he was being creepy, when Tsukishima's hand reacted first. He threw the volleyball right to Hinata's face and walked away with a red face.

"Tsukishima asshole!" Tsukishima heard Tanaka shouted at him but he couldn't care less.

* * *

"Hinata!" Lev came running to the gym. Kenma facepalmed as the younger player's rudeness. They should have greeted them first before barging into their gym. Lucky them that Coach Ukai just laughed it off. But with the way Nekomata smiled ominously, Kenma knew Lev had a hell training to do when they get back.

"I thought we won't have any match this year anymore since the end of this academic year is closing in." Lev grinned. "But thanks God, we are still given the chance to beat you guys." The Half-Russian arrogantly declared. Hinata growled like a kitten but he couldn't come up with a reply.

"Yeah, Yamamoto-san is a real deal." Tsukishima said with a derisive sweet smile as he casually passed by.

"Wh- No! I will also give you trouble!" Lev spun around.

"Do your best." Tsukishima added.

"Saltyshima!" Lev yelled in annoyance.

"Tsukishima is still as lively as usual." Hinata stared unimpressively to the retreating figure of Karasuno number 11. "But he is correct. Do your best."

"Of course! I will do my best when facing my rival." Lev announced proudly. Eyes zeroing on him.

Hinata blinked. He then averted his gaze, not meeting Lev's. "I am sitting this out."

Lev nodded. "But you are still my rival."

Tsukishima's gut suddenly told him to turn around, only to see both Hinata and Lev was still talking. But, the intense aura he had become so familiar with was surrounding Lev. The silver-haired boy was looking at Hinata with wide, carnivorous eyes.

"There will be time when we stand at the same stage. You and me, fight to our bones."

Hinata returned the stare with a more neutral one. He didn't show any hint of feeling intimidated by the air around Lev. Tsukishima wondered, what is it with them? And why Hinata wasn't affected by the aura Lev exuded was beyond him. The Blond Middle Blocker held his breath when Hinata stepped forward and held Lev's eyes with the same intensity Tsukishima always saw in the tall Hinata. The eyes when the tall Hinata was in his intimidating persona.

"Wait me."

Lev nodded, satisfied with the solid answer.

"Right, I am going to meet my team first before Kenma-san gets angry and won't toss me any ball." Lev said lightly before jogging to his teammates. And it seemed he got good timing because it looked like Tora was about to shout his name.

* * *

They were warming up first. Even the bench members followed the routine. Hinata stared as Kenma gave toss to Lev and the tall boy spiked it with his whip-like hit.

Damn, he wanted to play against them.

Karasuno members spiked the ball Kageyama tossed one by one. Unlike several months ago, Hinata was eager with anticipation to spike, but right now he wasn't eager with anticipation. It was frustration that pushed him. He wanted to hit a ball, no matter how.

It came Hinata's turn. Kageyama gave him a glance and Hinata understood. Kageyama wouldn't set him for a quick. And Hinata didn't find it in himself to be upset about it.

So the Strawberry-Blond paced himself. He took a deep breath as he ran toward the toss. His eyes narrowed on the ball. _I am sorry dear volley ball, I am going to release all this bad feeling on you_.

Hinata jumped and readied his body to spike.

Kageyama's eyes widened. Because just like Oikawa, he could assess how strong would be a spike by the spiker's posture. What he saw right then was not Hinata's usual spiking posture. Totally different. Hinata always seek speed, but this time, it was apparent that speed was nowhere near Hinata's mind. Kageyama knew, it would be strong. What Kageyama failed to realize, was how strong the spike would be.

Hinata spiked the ball with all his frustration. He closed his eyes and didn't even care where the spike would land. He missed the loud impact his spike resulted, in which silenced the gym as people turned looking to his direction. Hinata also missed how the ball bounced to the second floor of the gym, or the way Yachi dropped her mechanical pencil.

Everyone stopped in the midst of anything they did. Nekoma's libero tensed slightly as he looked at Kenma.

"Kenma-san, are you sure he is not playing?"

Kenma didn't answer right away. Instead he turned to look toward Coach Ukai. Seeing the shock on his face told him that Hinata wasn't planned to play in this game. And it would be that way, the Coach wouldn't just put Hinata into the game. As he was now, Hinata was unstable.

"I don't think he will." Kenma finally answered calmly.

"**HEY HEY HEY! Is that really you, Hinata?!"**

Everyone snapped their head to the gym door to see Bokuto stood there with a shocked face. But, his shock was not as much as the other people in the gym.

"Bokuto-san?" Kenma wondered quietly. But he really had a bad feeling about it.

"Woah, Chibi-chan really is growing." Kuroo joined the shell-shocked Bokuto. He draped his arm on the ex-Fukurodani Ace.

"Can you please, you know, not distract them?" Daichi also joined the duo third years. He then took both young men by the collars of their shirts and dragged them away from the gym. "Sorry, you can continue."

…

_What are they doing here?! Aren't they supposed to prepare for university?!_

* * *

"Chibi-chan is almost as tall as our Yamamoto." Kuroo said to Daichi.

"He is around Tanaka now." Sugawara said as he sat on a stair which led to Karasuno school building.

"I won't recognize him if I saw him from the back." Bokuto commented.

"But that's not all." Their other companion stated. "Did you see his spike?"

"Of course." Bokuto answered. Normally he would have been happy seeing Hinata able to spike that strongly. But, he also saw the hurt in his eyes when he spiked. Like he wasn't satisfied with it. In fact, it seemed that Hinata didn't even realize how powerful his spike was, and he was also oblivious with the lasting impression it left to all the people presented there.

Kuroo looked up to the tallest man among them. "You look irritated." Kuroo wondered mildly.

Daichi narrowed his eyes, focusing to the man whom Kuroo addressed. He then shook his head in surrender. "I still don't know how you can read Ushijima, Kuroo."

Ushijima ignored Daichi's comment. Instead he started voicing his thought. "I don't know what Hinata problem is. I dislike people with baseless confidence. But I dislike people who waste their potential more."

Their conversation ended when they heard a loud whistle which signaled that the game was about to begin. They quietly entered the gym and went up to the second floor to watch the match between Karasuno versus Nekoma.

* * *

Karasuno won the match. It felt miraculous because to be frank Nekoma's receives were still illogically difficult to break. But fortunately for Karasuno, without Kuroo and Yaku as their main defense force, Nekoma still needed a lot to catch up to regain their dynamic defense. Karasuno which still had Nishinoya and Tsukishima, plus wider variations of attack formation, had the upper hand in this match.

Either way both teams knew they still had a lot to develop. And whoever won, everyone admitted that it was a great game and both team was satisfied with it.

Except for the lone baby crow, of course.

"Ugh, I really want to play." Hinata groused beside Kageyama as both first-years hauled the net.

"You need to be able to do our quick first." Kageyama replied casually.

"It's frustrating to be suck."

"That's why I told you, how about if you try blocking?" Tsukishima suddenly joined their conversation. He and Yamaguchi was collecting the stray balls.

"I told you." Hinata turned to him, pouting. "I am not running away."

"How about practicing your spike?" Yamaguchi suggested. Another ball went in into their big basket. "Your spike when we were warming up? It was powerful. Maybe you can develop it?"

Hinata narrowed his eyes. Not in anger, but in desperation. "Still, I want my speed. It feels like I am running away if I resort to blocking and spiking now."

"**How is it running away?"**

The four first-years, soon would be second-years, turned around swiftly hearing an eerily familiar voice, which they were certain didn't belong in the area. The tall young man's presence was as intense as ever. Ushijima was looking at Hinata with a silent contemplation which none of the first-years dared to interrupt. Kuroo then appeared from behind him, waved a small hello to the First Years, which went ignored.

"Hello, guys!" Sugawara suddenly chirped loudly. Drawing everyone's attentions toward him. He was dragging Daichi with him to greet their juniors in Karasuno. Purposely gathering the second-years to them. Leaving the baby crows with Ushijima and Kuroo.

Sugawara didn't know and actually wasn't sure if it was alright to let Ushijima talk to Hinata. But Kuroo was with the Super Ace so he thought it was considerably safe. Kuroo could be rational at times. Hell, he was the smartest between them!

"Hey hey hey! Kenma!" Bokuto himself bounced to the Nekomas. Just like Sugawara and Daichi, he was there to give Ushijima time and space with Hinata. Gathering the Nekomas to him and not to their former captain.

"So, Hinata." Ushijima tried again since Hinata seemed still in shock seeing him there. The other three boys were just as shock but he didn't pay them any attention. His target was Hinata. "How is it running away when you resort to blocking or spiking?"

Hinata jumped slightly as a mental slap hit him at the back. He woke up from his shock and realized that Ushijima had repeated his question. "Be-because it's my identity! M-My speed is, I mean." Hinata stuttered.

"Who decided that?" Ushijima asked again. Genuinely curious without a hint of confrontation. Kuroo was several steps away from Ushijima. Hearing keenly to whatever the taller boy said, just in case he ran his honest mouth off and accidentally hurt the small First-Year. Well, Hinata was not exactly small now, but still...

Hinata's eyes went frantic for a moment as he spluttered incoherently. As if he had the answer right on the tip of his tongue but it just died. His hands turned into fists, resented himself for being unable to come up with an answer.

Ushijima's eyes softened ever so slightly that no one could realize. He was certain that Hinata didn't have an answer for it. He felt it was enough, he didn't want Hinata felt agonized so he decided it was best for him to speak rather than giving him questions.

"If you can't adapt to your change, you will not survive. It's not something that effort alone can help. You can't change your body by sheer will force." Ushijima started.

"Your growth will stop and your body will get used to it and at the same time you will get your speed and agility back. But, if you keep being like this, when you finally get your speed back, you will be falling behind too far from your peers." Ushijima paused as he purposely looked to Tsukishima's direction. As someone of the same position, Tsukishima would be Hinata's closest rival in his own team. Hinata needed some rival to fuel himself. And Ushijima generously showed him.

The Super Ace looked back at Hinata. "I suggest you to equip yourself with other skills. Make them your weapons. And when the time comes, you will have a wide variation in your arsenal."

Hinata didn't say anything but his eyes widened slowly as realization dawned on him. He looked away, suddenly became aware how stupidly stubborn he had been and how he had deprived himself of development. Wasting so much time wallowing his lost of speed while his rivals kept growing. Unconsciously, blindly rejected any suggestion to try other stuff while his peers tried various new things.

"Damn." Hinata mumbled at last.

"I hope you understand now." Ushijima nodded, satisfied and slightly relieved that it went as he hoped.

Hinata gazed up at Ushijima with a wavering but determined smile. "Yeah. Thank you, Ushijima-san."

Ushijima suddenly beckoned Yamaguchi, who had a ball in his hands. The Freckled Boy quickly approached the Ex-Shiratorizawa and gave them the ball.

"Come, I'll show you something."

Kageyama might as well have a convulsion with jealousy that a player of Ushijima's caliber wanted to teach Hinata something. He opened his mouth to say something but Tsukishima was swift, turning the boy around and shoved him to the equipment room to put the net away.

"With spiking I believe you can develop your own. I will show you how to jump serve powerfully. Watch carefully and engrave it to your brain. Visualize it whenever you want to jump serve until you have your own style." Ushijima explained first. "But first, let's ask permission from your Coach."

And Kageyama wailed in raging envy.

Tsukishima looked back toward Ushijima and the trailing Hinata, all the while shoving the struggling body of Kageyama. Hinata almost looked lost and moved by Ushijima's direction only. His face was stupidly blank as they approached Coach Ukai. Ushijima took no hint of Hinata's shocked state and just bulldozed his way to the smaller boy's mind. Telling him stuff he supposed to consider but Tsukishima bet that Hinata's mind was as blank as his face right now. Tsukishima also could hear Tanaka and Nishinoya's not so quiet whispers asking Daichi what Ushijima was doing, bossing their junior around. But Daichi just sighed as he stared to Kuroo from that distance, silently asking what Ushijima was thinking. He saw Kuroo smirked, shrugging his cluelessness.

Ah... come to think of it, what were those third years doing here? Moreover, Ushijima had nothing in common with the other four third years. Tsukishima could understand that Kuroo was there because maybe he wanted to see his juniors match with their long time rival, Bokuto might just tag along since they were close friends. Daichi and Sugawara's case was similar with Kuroo's. But, Tsukishima couldn't think anything about Ushijima.

Tsukishima stared at Kuroo. Could it be ...

* * *

The gym had been cleaned and the Nekoma was packing up. Taketora was reminding Lev about the stuff he might forget. Kenma was lazily playing with his game console, apparently had finished with his own packing.

"So, Daichi-san, is it true that you are going with them to Tokyo?" Ennoshita asked. The Karasuno had also finishes changing to their jersey Jackets.

"Yeah, I was scheduled to move into the dorm today. Kuroo called and he said I can ride Nekoma's bus since he was coming to see your match."

"And I want to watch too!" Bokuto exclaimed.

"And I want to see Daichi off." Sugawara smiled.

"How about Ushijima-san?" Tsukishima asked, looked closely to Kuroo's face, all the while smiling sweetly but his eyes radiated sadistic glee.

"I am also scheduled to move in today. Tetsu offered me to ride along too." Ushijima answered in his usual matter-of-fact-ish voice.

"There you have it." Kuroo grinned. But his eyes spoke that he knew that Tsukishima suspected something.

"Tetsu, huh?" Tsukishima's smile widened. Kuroo paled instantly. But he was saved by Hinata's outburst.

"Ushijima-san!" Hinata suddenly called loudly. His stand was rigid as he moved right in front of the said university student. He bowed deeply, making a ninety degree with his bow. "Thank you!"

Hinata only raised his head when Ushijima nodded, accepting Hinata's gratitude. Hinata's smile was full of teeth and his face was radiant with happiness. The road was still long, but at least he had scoped away the mountain of dirt that blocked it. Everything restarted.

Tsukishima smiled thinly. Eyes went soft seeing the brightness in Hinata's eyes again. It seemed forever since the last time he saw those sparkling orbs. Everyone must think the same because Tsukishima saw that everyone had the same relieved expression. He even noticed the wetness in Yachi's eyes.

Then something clicked in his mind seeing the interaction between Hinata and Ushijima. No matter where, it seemed like Hinata's turning point was Ushijima. Tsukishima didn't know how it was between Ushijima and Hinata in the other side when they were still in middle school, but seeing their interaction in high school, he reckoned Ushijima more or less took Hinata under his wings as well.

Tall Hinata, and this Hinata, they were in a sense, a same person.

"Oya?" Kuroo was suddenly in front of him. His eyes searching, and vindictive. "Is our Tsukki blushing?" Kuroo loudly said as he motioned for Bokuto to come.

"I am not." This in turn reddened his blush.

"Ooooh! Tsukki is blushing!" Bokuto, loud as ever.

"Is it possibly that our Tsukki has found _the one_?" Kuroo was not exactly being discreet with it. "Is it Chibi-chan?"

_Oh, so that's how you want to play it, Kuroo-san? _Tsukishima was all but backing down from this battle. And no, Tsukishima purposely avoided looking up to Hinata. He didn't want to see the smaller boy's reaction because he knew it would worsen his state. So Tsukishima just busted his way into this war.

"Enough about me Kuroo-san. How about you? Have you confessed to Ushijima-san?"

BOOOM. Kuroo's face reddened in a record time. Jackpot.

"Woah, how did you know?" Bokuto mumbled. For once being quiet.

Of course he could read it. Kuroo and Ushijima interaction was almost intimate but strained. They wanted to be closer but there was an invisible boundary that prevented them. The tension was in the air around them. And remembering the Ushijima in the other side, this development was a no-brainer for Tsukishima.

Kuroo gritted his teeth and his body convulsed, alternating between strangling the first year or fleeing the gym. He didn't need to look to know that Ushijima was boring a hole in the back of his head with his intense stare.

"Tet-"

"I-I need to prepare something in the bus." Kuroo spontaneously said when he hear Ushijima was about to call his name. He sprinted to the gym door but the Super Ace was fast and caught his arm.

_SHIIIIT! CURSE YOU TSUKKI!_

"I'll help you." Ushijima stated firmly. Firmer than he usually did.

"No! I can do it myself!" Kuroo half-heartedly struggled. He knew he couldn't escape this.

"I insist." Ushijima finished as he took the lead and brought Kuroo with him, exiting quiet gym.

Bokuto looked up to Tsukishima. "Not cool, Tsukki."

"He started." Tsukishima shrugged.

"Let's bet who will properly confess first."

"I bet on Ushijima-san."

* * *

"Look what is he eating?" Tsukishima almost shoved Yamaguchi to look through Hinata's class door. Yamaguchi saw a mountain of rice on the Growing Boy's lunch box.

"Rice, some vegetable, and... Is that sausage?"

"The rice is too much. He doesn't eat enough protein." Tsukishima hissed to himself.

"Tsukki, why are we doing again?"

"He is growing, YamaguchI." Tsukishima said to his bestfriend. Stating the obvious. "He needs balanced meals. He eats a lot of carbohydrate but not enough protein."

"Ah..." Yamaguchi nodded, mostly because he thought he needed to respond. Frankly, he didn't know where Tsukishima was going with that. "And?"

Tsukishima put his hand on his shoulder. He then spun him gently. "Go tell Hinata that he needs more protein. Meat, eggs, fishes, something like that." He pushed the Dark Haired boy softly, only urging him to walk on.

Yamaguchi smiled as he turned sideways. "Why Tsukki? Why do you care?"

Tsukishima glared furiously. But the redness on his face didn't help the image he wanted to create. "As if I know."

Yamaguchi chuckled softly. He then looked up to The Blond, mirth were obvious in his eyes. "I think I know." He smiled.

Tsukishima frowned. Honestly he didn't really know why he cared about this Hinata. And whatever the reason, he knew it would embarrass him. Yet, seeing the knowing look Yamaguchi had right now intrigued him. So he asked. "Why?"

"Because if ever you love a Hinata Shouyou, it should be this Hinata Shouyou, right?"

Tsukishima's eyes widened for a fraction. Tsukishima felt a prickle of hurt as a flash of the tall Hinata popped in the eye of his mind. He could only remember him without any mean to reunite with him. It was something he could never change.

But what Yamaguchi said was true. This was the world he really belonged. That Hinata Shouyou, the Hinata who was currently shorter than him by more than ten centimeters, was the one belonged to the same universe with him.

He was his Hinata.

Their relationship wasn't necessarily should bloom into something romantic. Tsukishima wasn't sure he could ever have a romantic feeling with the Shrimp. But, they could be friends. They were teammates already. Moreover, Tsukishima wasn't there for the Tall Hinata when he needed support the most. But right now, with this Short Hinata, he could do something for him, just a little gesture to support and cheer him up with the growing pain he was going through. At least he was around if Hinata needed something.

Tsukishima only nodded at Yamaguchi before he pushed his friend to tell Hinata what he said before.

He could start everything all over again. In the right place this time.

This was the first time, after a long despairing time, Tsukishima finally felt at home.

**TBC**

**Thank you sooo much for reading! **Review?

One more chapter and this story will finish. I hope you like the story so far :3


	20. This Tsukishima Kei

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Haikyuu! and never make any money by this fic.

**THIS TSUKISHIMA KEI**

**Universe with Tall Hinata**

"I met Hinata yesterday." Tsukishima started.

Yamaguchi didn't slow his walk down. His bestfriend wanted to say something about it was enough for him and so he didn't want Tsukki to feel too highlighted. "How was it?"

"We played in the training camp." The Blond stated. "He looks okay. Better than before."

Yamaguchi nodded while shrugged his bag to adjust its position on his shoulder. "How about you?"

Tsukishima snorted a little. It wasn't a disgraceful sound. Yamaguchi couldn't imagine Tsukishima make a disgraceful sound.

"I am fine. He is the one losing someone he likes, remember?"

Yamaguchi's eyebrows furrowed. Because it sounded exactly that Tsukishima was in a deep denial.

"You have the other guy's memory and feeling, right?"

When Tsukishima didn't answer, Yamaguchi turned to look ahead of the road. Their school was still a few hundred meters away and he was grateful for it. The more time to talk.

Tsukishima was hurting himself. It was an open-book case for Yamaguchi. He didn't need complicated analysis to know it. Just a glance to the Middle Blocker's morose eyes, which he usually concealed with some kind of glare, Yamaguchi would know.

Now, how to help him? That was what needed a complex and deep analysis. Because Tsukishima wouldn't let Hinata know about the memory and the feeling he got. Hence, there was no why Hinata could know about it to act on it.

That aside, there was also a risk that Hinata didn't want to do anything about his relationship with Tsukki for the time being. His separation with the other Tsukki was very abrupt and still fresh. Yamaguchi wouldn't blame Hinata if he turned out apathetic if ever he knew about Tsukki's memory and feeling.

But it wasn't Tsukki's fault that they were separated.

But no one could force Hinata to do something about their relationship.

It was a stalemate. An absolute disaster. Yamaguchi couldn't do anything to help them. It was too much of a sensitive matter.

"How about you talk it out with Hinata?" Yamaguchi suddenly said. He had suggested it before but Tsukishima vehemently refused. The Blond was about to reply as he did before but Yamaguchi needed him to listen for once. "Maybe you can start all over again?"

"No. Yamaguchi, just no." Tsukishima shook his head. Unconsciously discouraging himself. "I don't know how he will take it-"

"Exactly-"

"He will take it as if I take advantage of his feeling." Tsukishima almost snapped. "He will take it as if I make fun of his feeling."

Yamaguchi was apprehensive about this all. Tsukki was hurting himself. Hinata was also hurting. If only there was a way that Hinata could know about Tsukki's handed-over memory and feeling...

"Yamaguchi, promise me you will not tell Hinata anything about it." Tsukishima suddenly said after seeing the determination on his dark-haired companion.

Yamaguchi cursed himself for being obvious.

"Yamaguchi?"

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"I promise."

Tsukishima nodded. Satisfied.

* * *

Tsukishima walked to the gym. His water bottle in one hand and his towel in the other. Walking to the gym was a nerve-wracking in itself. Knowing that Hinata must be in the gym already. Calling for a toss from Kageyama and focusing deeply in his own practice. Tsukishima took a breath. He knew it even without the memory from his other self; he had known it from the Shrimp, that practicing non-stop during school hours was Hinata's way to cope from a bumpy situation. A situation which solution he couldn't find. Like his growth spurt.

But with this Hinata, the problem was nothing about growth spurt. Tsukishima wanted to laugh but he could not. Never in his young life had he imagined to be stuck in a problem involving romantic feeling. He imagined about universities and its majors, and maybe his addiction to dinosaur figures. But not this.

When he entered the gym and said his greeting everyone turned to his direction and replied his greeting. Hinata didn't turn but he returned the greeting. Tsukishima didn't dwell on it and instead he approached Asahi and asked his help to practice on his block while waiting for their Coach.

* * *

Ever since yesterday, the moment he saw the hurt in Tsukishima's eyes after giving him a cold treatment, Hinata's resolve was swaying. During the training camp he had a lot of time to think while being away from the source of his heartache. And during that time, Hinata also reckoned that Tsukishima had readjusted to this world much better and would not think anything about him more than just a teammate. But, yesterday proved him differently.

Hinata might be dumb but he wasn't emotionally clueless. He saw the pain in those eyes.

Or was it, his hopeful mind made him seeing things?

Hinata furrowed his eyebrows in a frown. That was possible. He might just imagine it because he was still hopeful.

Damn. He should have known that. His resolve wasn't as strong as he thought.

Hinata looked up to the white line of the net and prepared to serve. His face neutral and calm as well as determined. To save him from too much pain, he would avoid Tsukishima. Hinata believed Tsukishima wouldn't mind. Heck, the other Middle Blocker ought to feel relieved instead.

"Everyone assemble!" Daichi suddenly called.

Hinata stopped himself from doing the serve and looked at the gym door where Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei were talking. Kiyoko was beside the teacher as the shorter man instructed something to the manager.

* * *

Is it the practice match? Tsukishima minded as he calculated the days. His estimation of the practice match with Datekou would be around this time. He then looked toward Kageyama. He raised his eyebrows as finally he saw the troubled look on the King's face. He did not see it in the other universe. Would he demand the spikers to run faster? Jump higher? Be more decisive?

"We are requested to do a practice match." Takeda started.

_With Datekou._

"With Aoba Jousai."

The way Kageyama snapped his head so fast looked painful. But Tsukishima wasn't concerned about that. He was busy thinking that the practice match wasn't happening like in the other universe. A part of him found it interesting, he could find something new about his own world and not just reliving the days he had experienced from the other side. But another part of him found it eerie, the way that one moment he felt knowing and in control of everything, suddenly got snatched away.

"Their third years have retired, so they ask our help to try out their new formation." Takeda finished.

"Oh, Oikawa is not there anymore." Daichi nodded to himself

"That feels relieving." Sugawara commented.

"The _Kyoken_-chan is still around, you know." Asahi mumbled.

"Their libero also there." Nishinoya's eyes didn't meet anyone's his eyes were unreadable but there was seriousness in his voice that everyone knew he acknowledge Seijou's libero. Coming from Nishinoya, it was something.

* * *

Kageyama knew it would be awkward. But with his teammates around, he felt much better. He peered toward Kindaichi's and Kunimi's way. Kindaichi might be oblivious about what happened during yesterday's match with Shiratorizawa's third years, but Kunimi was different. Kageyama was sure that Kunimi knew what actually happened to him yesterday. He didn't want to be confronted about it, so it was wise to stick around his teammates. Never stray from them!

Kageyama dared to take a proper look toward Aoba Jousai. Kunimi and Kindaichi were preparing themselves. Then Kunimi looked up, their eyes met.

For a long, cold moment, Kageyama felt as if his breathing stopped. He stared back toward the Wing Spiker, waiting for a condescending stare or roll of eyes.

Kunimi nodded at him. Mouthing _we will win this time_. And he looked away to speak with his teammate.

Kageyama blinked. He felt mildly better with that. He really didn't expect it, from Kunimi nonetheless. It was as if yesterday's accident didn't really bother him. Why? There was no way Kunimi didn't know the real truth behind the failure of his back-toss to Kindaichi.

"Kageyama, warm up!" Tanaka slapped his back.

The Setter jumped a bit before muttering a yes. He then sprinted, following his seniors. But not before taking a long wondering look toward Kunimi.

Whatever it was, Kageyama knew that it should never affect his play.

Everyone seemed to detect the tensed vibe Kageyama let off the moment Takeda announced this practice match. Kageyama was too busy with his thinking that he didn't realize the worry stares Sugawara and the rest of the Third Years sent his way.

One thing the seniors failed to see, that the storm that would come very soon was not revolving around Kageyama.

* * *

Tsukishima was taping his finger. It was stupid of him that he injured his finger during warming up. He was sitting on one of the chairs their managers arranged and half-heartedly taping his finger. His ears were listening closely to Hinata's voice.

He couldn't interact with Hinata, it would be disastrous. So he was content with hearing his voice. The tallest Karasuno member was laughing with Tanaka and Nishinoya about only-God-knows-what. Tsukishima smiled a little, but his heart ached with longing.

This was a really shitty predicament.

* * *

Hinata took his water bottle and had it in his mind to hydrate himself properly before the match started. He gulped the water when Yamaguchi passed by, bringing a mop. Looked like he spilled something on the floor.

_Ah, where is Tsukishima?_

Still drinking his water, Hinata's eyes stopped to a lone figure sitting on a chair, concentrating on taping his finger.

Tsukishima looked so lonely, sitting by himself. His eyes were staring on the taped finger but it seemed his concentration was elsewhere.

He looked so lonely. So far.

Hinata brought down his bottle and unconsciously gripped it hard. He closed his eyes and seeing, imagining behind his eyelids how he approached Kei. His Kei. How easily it would be to start a conversation with Kei. How nice it would be to hold his hand and inspect how bad Kei injured his finger.

But never again.

Hinata opened his eyes. Never again.

That guy was not his Kei. He was Tsukishima. It was hard but it was the only way. They were teammates; Hinata had to bury this feeling. They couldn't afford to be awkward forever. Hinata was sure both of them had the same ambition to bring their team to Nationals in all the tournaments to come. His feeling toward the Blond right now was a big hindrance. He had to quash this feeling. So one day he would look at Tsukishima only as a teammate. A friend at most, but no more than that.

* * *

The said disaster happened without clear warning. Yahaba was the one serving and apparently he had had good training session with Oikawa with his jump-serve. Nishinoya still could pick it up without much trouble, though. The Second Year setter clucked his tongue seeing how easily the short Libero picked it up.

The ball was sent back to Seijou's side with Hinata's back attack. They could pick it up and Kyoutani spiked it to Karasuno's side. He hit Tsukishima's block and the ball bound to be out. Yet, Tanaka was fast on his feet. He ran far outside of the court, didn't want to give Kyoutani the point.

The game had been progressing like that. Like usual. But what happened after that sent a thick gray cloud to Karasuno's side.

The ball was a bit short. Kageyama ran to catch the fall point. But the King _tripped_ on his own foot. Everyone was so stunned that they only stared at the usually graceful Kageyama on all four. Tsukishima wanted to laugh at the embarrassing position Kageyama was currently displaying but the setter, focus and unfazed as he was, yelled to him.

"Set the ball, Tsukishima!"

Tsukishima got his focus to the match back. He was quick to move after being yelled by the Raven. It was a very narrow second between the time he was ready below the ball and it descending to his hands. The Blond also didn't have the luxury to see around for the spikers. He only chose based on his memory of their standings in the current rotation.

"Shouyou!" He called loudly for Hinata's back attack.

The taller boy ran and spiked the ball effortlessly. His power was as satisfying as usual with a normal set. Karasuno cheered loudly and Kageyama was already on his feet. Blushing madly as Tanaka and Nishinoya laughed at his fall. Tsukishima was approaching the trio, ready to shot mockery to the King, but he stopped when he felt a looming figure behind him.

Tsukishima took a sharp intake of breath. It was the first time ever Hinata used his intimidating vibe on Tsukishima. The Blond froze as his eyes met with those glaring, angry eyes. Hinata's muscle taut, his jaw set. The tension between them drew everyone's attention. The gym was dead silent when Hinata said clearly with strained voice:

"Don't call me Shouyou."

Ukai signaled for a timeout right after.

* * *

They lost from Aoba Jousai. But not even the victorious team was celebrating. They knew Karasuno was not at their best after what Hinata said. Tsukishima was distracted the whole time after that and Hinata couldn't get his spiking timing right. Both were subbed out in the beginning of the third round.

The teams paid each other respect with formal shaking hands under the net. Kindaichi caught Kageyama by his arm and urged him to the side of the court after it was done. The Raven Setter felt his heart beat faster but didn't think Kindaichi wanted to talk about what happened yesterday. It was what happened just before.

"What happened with him?" Kindaichi asked.

Kageyama shrugged. "I don't know. And frankly I wouldn't tell you even if I knew."

Kindaichi tensed at that. He then looked away. Kageyama saw some kind of worry in his eyes, some kind of familiarity? Like he was familiar with the whole situation and knew what would follow after that.

The taller boy nodded. "I understand. I'll change now."

Kageyama nodded. "See you next time."

Kindaichi didn't say anything to reply it. Kageyama was about to move away, thinking the teal-uniformed boy didn't have anything to say. Then Kindaichi suddenly said: "See you later."

* * *

"Tsukki, wait up!" Yamaguchi called as he jogged to his bestfriend. The Glasses Boy had finished changing and was walking toward the school gate.

Yamaguchi pushed his legs when Tsukishima wasn't slowing down.

"Tsukki, wait for me!" Yamaguchi called again. The taller boy spun around. His face didn't give anything away. He stared flatly to the Freckled-Boy.

"Go walk Yachi-san. She seems shaken up." Tsukishima said before walking away again.

"No, we will go home together." No way would he let Tsukishima be alone after what had happened between him and Hinata.

Yamaguchi was the only person who knew what happened. He was the only one who knew the whole detail. He wanted to be in his friend's side during his down moment.

"Yamaguchi." Tsukishima said with a kind of finality in his voice.

Yamaguchi stopped in his track. No more words were needed for Yamaguchi to know that it was Tsukishima's way to ask to be left alone.

"Later." Tsukishima added before walking away, quicker this time.

_Later_. Yamaguchi minded. At least Tsukki was willing to talk about it when he felt better.

Then he heard a commotion in front of the club building.

* * *

"What was that?" Kageyama asked. Hinata was standing in front of him. All tall and broad back. The taller boy looked back. A jocular smile grew on his face.

"Oh, Kageyama. By the way, how are your knees? You didn't injure them during your fall, right?" Hinata teased instead.

"I asked you a question." Kageyama didn't falter.

Hinata dropped his mask abruptly. "What is it for you? It's not your business."

Kageyama's eyes narrowed. He cursed himself for his lack of social skills. His world only revolved around volleyball, he didn't know how to hold a good conversation out of that topic.

_Ah, volleyball!_

"It will affect your play." Kageyama said. Hiding the internal glee for coming up with something.

Hinata groaned. "It's always about Volleyball with you, huh, Kageyama? You don't care about other people's feeling?"

"No-" Kageyama spluttered, his face red in panic and embarrassment.

"You are destroying yourself." Suddenly another person joined their conversation. Kindaichi was alone as he approached the weird duo. His face solemn. He dreaded something. Something even Kageyama couldn't guess.

"Turnip."

"Go talk your problem with Tsukishima." Said Kindaichi. He stopped right in front of Kageyama.

"Who are you again?" Hinata challenged. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "It's not your place to say anything about my problem."

Kageyama grabbed Kindaichi's arm. He saw the way Hinata looked at Kindaichi and he didn't like it. It was almost predatory. He felt something terrible might happen if the two boys continued talking. "Kind-"

"You will regret it, Hinata!" Kindaichi raised his voice.

"What do you know?!" Hinata stepped forward to the Seijou.

"I know that you are shoving your happiness away! And you are going to regret it!" Kindaichi accepted the challenge and stepped forward as well. "I did what you are doing! I regret it! Don't make the same mistake!"

"Don't lump me in with you!" Hinata roared. "You purposely hurt him!" Hinata pointed a tensed finger toward Kageyama. The latter jumped at the sudden address of himself.

"You might not purposely hurt him but you are nonetheless!"

"HINATA!" Yamaguchi suddenly shouted on top of his lungs. Kindaichi's and Hinata's intense shout from before were hushes in comparison. Both the arguing boys turned to him. The Karasuno Number 12 didn't waste any more time as he got the tallest boy's attention.

He would tell Hinata everything.

Everything.

* * *

Tsukishima was kicking random pebbles in his path to the side. The shock from seeing Hinata directed his animosity toward him still lingered. No matter how hard he shoved it deep into his mind. He felt strangely betrayed. It hurt.

He delved into the memory from the other guy and Hinata never did that to him- never to Hinata's Kei. Only to him, to Tsukishima.

Tsukishima sighed. It would be much easier if only he didn't have all the memory and feeling from the other Tsukishima. It made everything complicated. Why? Why did he need to get all this memory and feeling? It was stupid!

But then he reckoned that it should have become his memory in the first place. All those things happened with the other Tsukishima during his stay, should have happened to him. He should be the one experiencing it. Maybe it was the way the world balanced itself after such unbalancing phenomenon.

The problem was Hinata really couldn't accept him. Tsukishima scrunched his eyes shut. Hinata only wanted the other guy. His Kei.

Too deep in his thought. He didn't watch where he was going. He bumped to someone and the boy spun. Voice high in annoyance. "Oi, Brat! Watch where you are walking!"

"I am sorry." Tsukishima said as he looked up to the person.

There were two other guys beside the person he bumped into. The three guys wore the same school uniform. So apparently they were from the same school. Tsukishima was taller than any of them but the three of the guys had broader built. He reckoned they were in their third year in high school.

And strangely, they looked familiar.

"Oh, it's the rich kid!" One of the guys said.

"The one we almost got before! He has this cool pair of headphones, remember?!" Another guy said.

Then the one Tsukishima bumped smirked. He licked his lip. "The one who was totally my type."

Shit. Tsukishima _remembered_ now. There were five boys before. Right now they were only three but he _remembered_ them no less from the other Tsukishima's memory.

Tsukishima ran as fast as he could, back to the way he came.

* * *

"What happened?" Yahaba asked. Ennoshita, Daichi, and Sugawara turned to see the New Captain. The three Karasuno were peeking from the window of the gym to where the hot argument was taking place.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just some skirmish between our first years." Daichi said, and he really hoped that it was the case. Just skirmish.

"Wait, what is Kindaichi doing there?" Yahaba asked urgently as he peeked as well.

"Please, just let them be for a moment." Ennoshita said to Yahaba. Desperately hoped that the other Second Year wouldn't go out there to collect his junior and ruined the tensed sphere around them. The seniors agreed that this argument was needed. They needed to talk. But since they were young and unbalanced, especially Hinata right now, they were... supervising them by the gym window.

Yahaba regarded Ennoshita with doubtful eyes. The urgency was clear in their gesture, so he complied.

* * *

"Tsukki asked me to keep mum." Yamaguchi started. His hands were in fists. "But you, just as he, are my friend. I can't watch you guys destroying yourselves."

Hinata listened. His rage had vanished, replaced by respectful seriousness. Yamaguchi wasn't someone who would openly speak what in his mind. And his own physical figure was giving Yamaguchi an imposing impression in the beginning of their meetings. Hinata couldn't help but respect Yamaguchi who tossed his usual timid self to bravely speak to him with that tone.

Yamaguchi closed his eyes tightly. His lips made a thin line. He opened his eyes with steel determination, breaking the last resistance he had in himself from betraying his bestfriend. "Tsukki has the other guy's memory!"

Hinata's serious face turned slowly. His eyes went wide and his face went slightly pallid as cold realization rushed to him. Kindaichi and Kageyama, as well as the seniors inside the gym, felt lost of what Yamaguchi was telling. But no one dared to break the spell of consternation Yamaguchi created together with Hinata.

"What?" Hinata shook his head slowly. Denial was deep in his mind. "How? That can't be true."

"I don't know how that happened but it's true! He also experienced all the feeling the other guy feels for you! He has his feeling!" Yamaguchi was almost hysterical. Yachi was suddenly beside him and touched his forearm. The Dark Haired boy didn't notice her and that worried Yachi even more.

Hinata looked away. Being told something like this made him feel hopeful. And it was the most dangerous thing right now. The hope, if it turned out to be empty, would hurt the most.

"He is not Kei." Hinata said softly, to himself, but Yamaguchi heard it.

"I know he is not _that_ Kei! But, can't you consider starting anew? As friends?" Yamaguchi exasperated. "Besides, if ever you loved a Tsukishima Kei, he should be the one! He is our true Tsukishima Kei!"

Hinata's face was a total picture of catatonia. His eyes wide, a small gap between his lips, and furrowed eyebrows. The last two sentences which Yamaguchi said slapped him in the face, hard. His feeling for the other Tsukishima Kei had blinded him from the truth.

"Hinata, I kn-"

"That's enough, Yamaguchi." Hinata said as he approached the Freckled Boy. Yamaguchi stopped talking and there was a happy twinkle in his eyes as he saw the warm smile on Hinata's face. "Thank you." He said as he walked pass by him. He didn't forget to give the Pinch Server a firm squeeze on his shoulder.

"You are indeed cool. And tell your bestfriend to be more honest!" Hinata playfully added. He then turned back to Yamaguchi, walking backward quickly toward the school gate. "See you then, I have a Blond to catch up!" Hinata said lightly before running away full speed.

"I am worried about him." Kageyama said as he ran after Hinata. Kindaichi was dumbstruck with the sudden movement, but he would no way let Kageyama alone with Hinata who he deemed was still unstable.

"Wait me!" Kindaichi shouted as he ran as well.

* * *

"Uh oh!" Sugawara mumbled to himself before dashing out of the gym to catch up with the First Years.

"Suga! Where are you going?!" Daichi called, running as well in wonder and worry for the Vice Captain since the said Vice Captain was not always wise. "Tch, Asahi, come on!" Daichi yelled for the other Third Year.

"Eh, why me? But, okay!" Asahi didn't waste any time to catch up after getting a glare from Daichi.

Yahaba looked left and right in confusion and urgency. Kindaichi was there! Kindaichi went there too! What should he do?!

Without thinking, Yahaba yelled: "Kyoutani!"

"What?" Turned out he was beside him all along.

"Go!" Yahaba pointed outside toward Karasuno school gate while ushering the Mad Dog. "I will catch up!" He added. Yahaba was sure he couldn't catch up to Kindaichi at this late start. Kyoutani might. "Kunimi, you take care of the packing!" He barked another order before disappearing out of the gym.

"Why me? Why the drama?" Kunimi sighed. _Don't they see it was fine after Hinata spoke with Number 12?_

* * *

Hinata ran and ran. He didn't care how painful his breath had become or how his head becoming light-headed with each forceful step. He was also heedless with how his legs screamed to stop, to take one or two minutes break from his run. But he couldn't afford wasting more time. He didn't want it to drag on. If what Yamaguchi said was true, then he had hurt Tsukishima quite bad with his cold shoulders. Especially with the last demand he told the Middle Blocker about calling him by his first name.

Hinata was about to take a turn when suddenly a tall body collided with him. Sending him and the person stumbling on the dry ground. Leaving a big smoke of dirt particles around them.

"Sho- Hinata?!" A voice called right above his lying down body

Hinata's eyes were closed to stop the dirt from entering his eyes. He didn't need to open his eyes to know who the person on top of him was. But one thing unnerved him, Tsukishima sounded like he was in panic.

The only time he remembered Tsukishima this panic was when a group of third years from other school chased him and intended to take his stuff. One of them was perverted enough to leer on the Blond.

"Hinata, get up! We need to run!" Tsukishima urgency said. He took Hinata's arm and urged him to stand on his feet.

"Tsukishima, what happened?" Hinata asked the moment he stood on his feet. His answer came in a group of three boys.

The three boys stopped dead in their tracks. They heaved wheezing breaths, it seemed like Tsukishima had outrun them by far. Their eyes lit up in recognition when they met Hinata's.

"What is it with this coincidence? This kid was there too, right?" One of the guys chuckled. His head tilted, directing his friends to look at Hinata.

"Yeah." His friend joined. "What? Are you his boyfriend or something?" There was a line of jealousy in his smirk.

Hinata looked to the side where Tsukishima was standing. The shorter boy didn't pay any attention to him; he was focus on his chasers. He was also too busy gripping Hinata's arm, slightly pulling him away from the scene, urging them to run from them. The one with the smirk, the one with the jealousy triggered a sickening panic in Tsukishima. Hinata could see it and he didn't like that.

"Leave him alone." Hinata began. He brushed Tsukishima's hand off of his arm. The Bespectacled Boy looked up in question. Hinata signaled him with his eyes that he would take care of it.

But Tsukishima was not convinced. He grabbed Hinata's arm again, shaking his head. They should avoid them.

"We will after we are done with him." The Perverted Boy said as he rolled the sleeves of his uniform.

"**Hinata**!"

Suddenly they heard Kageyama's voice. With horror, both boys wide-eyedly watched Kageyama and Kindaichi sprinted toward them. They missed the doubtful looks that the three bullies sent to each other.

"Is everything alright?" Kindaichi asked as he saw the three strangers.

"Not really." Hinata answered. He gestured to Kindaichi that he could use some help with the strangers. Kindaichi stepped forward, not before telling Kageyama to stay back. But well, like hell Kageyama would stay away.

"What happened?" The Raven Setter stood between Hinata and Kindaichi.

"**Guys! Is everything alright?"**

This time Sugawara joined them. The smaller Setter looked back and forth between the tall first years. His eyes stopped at three strangers, appearances messy and looked mean. He didn't like it. Sugawara didn't like it one bit when there were people messing with his juniors.

"Excuse me, do you have any business with my kouhais here?" Sugawara asked calmly. There was no fear in his posture as he stepped forward, standing in front of his taller juniors. It was pure protective feeling that drove this bravery. Hinata and Tsukishima unconsciously reached out to the older boy, afraid for his near future.

"Well, your dear kouhai over there bumped into me." The Perverted Stranger began. He pointed to Tsukishima.

"I believe he has apologized." Sugawara said. He looked back toward Tsukishima. Tsukishima nodded at the older boy, affirmed that he had indeed apologized.

"We don't need his apology. We want compensation." Another stranger said. He looked bothered. He knew Sugawara was a third year and that meant he would be difficult to shake off. And if it was come to fight, he wasn't really sure that the three of them could beat the five of them. The first years were too tall!

"That's not gonna happen. You guys didn't lose anything." Sugawara stood his ground. The juniors behind them nervously glanced to each other.

"Oh shut up! Our business is not with you!" The Perverted Boy said as he moved to grab Sugawara's shoulder. The Smaller Boy swiftly held his hand away with his arm. The stranger then took his arm and gripped it tight. He was about to shove the Third Year away when an ominous voice entered their earshot.

"**Don't even think about it. Hands off of him."** Daichi said lowly.

It felt like the temperature around them suddenly dropped a few degrees. Hinata didn't even dare to move a muscle. He in turn put his hand on top of Tsukishima's which was still gripping his arm. Kindaichi moved closer to them, feeling unnerved with all the third years. Kageyama seemed unaffected and thus the other first years felt a certain respect for his calm demeanor, and pity since Kageyama seemed lacking in self-preservation as well.

As if Daichi was not enough, Asahi appeared. The timid Third Year looked confused at first but then his eyes fell to the Three Strangers. The three strangers suddenly went rigid at the sight of Asahi and the Perverted Boy took his hand off of Sugawara as if he was burning him.

"You..." Asahi trailed as he pointed his index finger at them. Eyes narrowed in recollection. But with his facial figure it could be easily mistaken as a very mean glare.

"It's Azumane!" One of the strangers said to his friend. The other friend nodded solemnly.

"Oh." Kyoutani appeared right after Asahi. "I know these guys." He muttered.

"Oh, really?" Yahaba wheezed behind him. "What is happening by the way?"

But before anyone can explain, the three boys fled the scene.

* * *

"Kyoutani said that he knows their leader." Sugawara said as he handed Tsukishima a bottle of water. "They won't bother you anymore." He assured the younger boy.

"Thanks." Tsukishima said when he took the water bottle. He looked to the entrance of the minimarket and Daichi was telling Tanaka and Nishinoya to give some of the pork buns to Yahaba, Kyoutani, and Kindaichi.

_Where is Hinata?_

"Alright then, I will join Daichi and Asahi." Sugawara said, but his eyes were not on him. His eyes were focusing on something behind him. He looked back and there was Hinata, holding a paper bag with two pork buns in it. Sugawara tapped Tsukishima on the shoulder before leaving the two of them.

The taller boy offered the pork bun to Tsukishima. The Blond mumbled a thank you and they were enveloped in a comfortable silence. Neither wanted to break it as they munched quietly. If they could they would just stand there and eat their pork bun in total silence. But both of them knew they needed to talk.

"If I hurt you, I am sorry." Hinata started. He looked down to his pork bun before slowly meeting Tsukishima's eyes.

Tsukishima nodded slowly. "I understand." He did, he really did understand. The way he called Hinata's name, must had brought back memories. Memories which would be forever be memory.

There was another quiet minute after that, until Hinata spoke again.

"Well," Hinata hesitated. "I heard everything from Yamaguchi-"

"What?!" Tsukishima asked loudly. His face started heating up. _It can't be!_ Yamaguchi had promised him to not tell Hinata about _everything_. That traitor!

Hinata blinked, slightly taken aback with his response. "Yes, Yamaguchi told me about your memory and stuff."

Tsukishima looked like he wanted to strangle a certain bestfriend of his. The blush adorned his face was standing out against his pale skin. Now he believed Hinata would be affected by it. He didn't want it. "Hinata, don't let it bother you."

Hinata cocked his head to the side. "It doesn't bother me. I actually want to ask you, do you mind if we start all over again?"

This time Tsukishima was the one who blinked. Inquiring eyes stared deeply into Hinata's open and warm eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Not directly romantic, you know." The taller boy flustered. "We can start as friends."

"I know, you Shrimp." If possible, Tsukishima's blush deepened.

"Shrimp?"

Tsukishima looked up, realizing his mistake. He groaned to himself. "It's the other Hinata."

"Ah, I see. Kei told me once about my other self there."

In that short exchange, they suddenly became aware that both of them had shared much longer time with the other version of themselves. It might take long for them to get used to each other after they had become familiar with the other's other self. But it had to be done. They really needed to start their friendship from zero. As if it was the first time they meet. As if it was the first time Tsukishima saw Hinata, having a spike-serve battle with Kageyama, in the gym within their first day of school.

The love Tsukishima felt for Hinata, he needed to bottle it up.

The longing Hinata felt for Kei, the heartbreak after their abrupt separation, and the new affection he had for Tsukishima, also needed to be always kept in check.

It's the real start of their story this time. Whatever the relationship might be, it was right where it belonged now.

Ah, Tsukishima still needed to strangle Yamaguchi...

...and thank him.

**END**

I might sound like broken record but I will never get tired to tell you guys, my dear readers, **tons of thank you! **You can't imagine how grateful I am for having you guys reading this story chapter per chapter, despite the sporadic updates. Writing this fic has been a joyful ride. To be honest I too feel entertained with my own fic LOL. So yeah, I think up until now this fic has been the most easy to write, and I enjoy it a lot! Not to mention your encouraging reviews/subscribes/favorites. Thank you very much for all of the supports you gave me and YAY finally this story comes to its end. Maybe some of you won't be completely satisfied with the ending but this is the best ending I could think.

Once more, thank you for your support from the beginning of this fic until the end of it. I am really glad that my writing can entertain people and maybe make their day. And let's hope good things always come to us for the years to come :3


	21. Extra

**EXTRA**

**The Universe with the Tall Hinata**

Ushijima took a framed photograph and observed it.

"Is he your brother?" He asked to the two younger young men. Both were busy arranging the stuff the youngest one brought from his home, Miyagi.

Tsukishima looked up from his sitting position on the floor. "Yes, he is my Nii-san."

"He plays basketball?" He asked again, referring to the basketball Akiteru held in the photograph.

"Yes," Tsukishima looked away, but a tiny smile was on his face, remembering his brother. "he still plays with the neighborhood association."

"Tsukishima, how about these sport magazines?" Akaashi asked, entering the moderately spacious room. A pile of magazines was in his hands.

Tsukishima stared on, contemplating it. "I think Hinata will want to place them by himself. You can put them on his bed." Tsukishima nodded to one of the beds in the room.

"I see, so this is your area." Ushijima said as he pointed toward the other side of the room.

Tsukishima nodded. "The right side of this room is mine, Hinata's is the left side."

"Because you are always right?" Akaashi joked.

"Exactly." Tsukishima smirked. They chuckled to themselves while Ushijima dragged another big box to the room.

Akaashi then looked around. The house was suddenly very quiet. Living with Bokuto and Kuroo, Akaashi had learnt to appreciate silence, since it was a rare happenstance in the house. But at the same time Akaashi also learnt to be wary of silence.

"Where is Bokuto-san? And Kuroo-san?"

Tsukishima blinked as he ripped open the box that Ushijima dragged before. "Hinata?" Tsukishima called loudly.

But no answer.

"They are going to buy food for all of us." Ushijima answered.

Sudden chill washed over Akaashi and Tsukishima. Did they hear that right?

"You mean Bokuto-san, Kuroo-san, and Hinata? Buying food for us? The three of them? Together?" Akaashi felt a headache coming.

Tsukishima groaned when Ushijima nodded a yes.

* * *

"BEER!" Bokuto opened their house front door. Hands shot upward with cans of beer.

"Akaashi, Shouyou and Tsukishima are not twenty yet, Bokuto." Ushijima said.

"I am sorry, I couldn't stop him." Kuroo put his best regretful face which didn't convince anyone in the room.

"You didn't even try, Kuroo-san." Tsukishima deadpanned. The ex-Captain of Nekoma put his hand on top his chest, feigned hurt.

"I-I have no idea he was going to buy beer." Hinata nervously scratched his cheek.

"Oh, come on, don't be a spoilsport!" Bokuto exclaimed. "Tonight is our welcoming party for our newest roommates! So go wild!"

"Yeaaah!" Kuroo joined.

"Akaashi, Shouyou, and Tsukishima are not going to drink." Ushijima decided with finality.

"Wakatoshi..." Kuroo whined.

"No." Ushijima replied without missing a beat. Kuroo groaned as he sat down beside the low table in their living room. He then put the grocery bags on the table and poured the raw food inside.

"So, what you guys want to eat?" Kuroo grinned.

* * *

The morning came and sun light peeked through the blue curtains that decorated their room. Tsukishima lazily stretched and headed toward the windows to pull them aside, but stopped himself when Hinata was still sounding asleep. He then cringed, remembering the last night. No one noticed but Hinata succeeded to drink even with Ushijima's supervision. He even got down two cans of beer before he started blabbering nonsense and Ushijima, lowkey-ly, manhandled him to the bedroom. Kuroo looked ready to flee the apartment when Ushijima came out of the room and interrogated both him and Bokuto of who let Hinata drink the beers. Both admitted guilty.

When Tsukishima exited their bedroom, the living room was dead silent. He looked to the clock on top of the TV and it was almost ten in the morning. He understood the silence then; the four older young men had morning classes in the university, whereas he and Hinata needed to go to the university administration any time of the day to get their schedule which would start the following week.

Tsukishima chuckled in satisfaction, he hoped Kuroo and Bokuto had hangover.

He went to the door, passing his brother's photograph which he was smiling, holding a basketball. He then went to the kitchen area and opened the fridge. There were some raw vegetable left from yesterday's hotpot and a tray of eggs. That would be enough for two plates of omurice.

* * *

"Kei?"

Tsukishima heard the sleepy call from the taller boy. Hinata emerged from the door, holding his head as he squinted, searching the room for him. Obviously hangover.

"Kitchen!" Tsukishima called. He just needed to fix one more plate and the two omurice would be ready.

Hinata stumbled over to the dining area and sat down heavily. Still holding his head, his eyes moved left and right as if trying to remember something.

"You were drunk." Tsukishima said. "Go drink water." He suggested.

"I was drunk?" Hinata looked up, eyes closed and his eyebrows made an impressive frown. "Yesterday? Why? Why would I get drunk? I don't drink."

"Well," Tsukishima began, ready to stomp on whatever excuse Hinata conjured in his mind. "You did get drunk. You drank two cans of beer."

"Huh?" Hinata tilted his head to the side, still looked clueless. "Why there were beers? Did we celebrate something?" He asked again, this time his hand massaged his forehead.

Tsukishima frowned. He was annoyed just as he was getting worried with Hinata. "They threw a small party to welcome us." Tsukishima explained. An inexplicable dread hummed deep in his heart. "Luckily your Senpai was there to stop you from drinking more than you had."

"Welcome party? What for? And Senpai?" Hinata stared up at him. "Which senpai?"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "Ushijima-san."

This time Hinata raised one of his eyebrows, as if Tsukishima just said something stupid. The Blonde was about to say something witty when Hinata snorted in amusement.

"Ushijima-san is not our senpai, Kei."

If he was not the calm and collected Tsukishima Kei, he would have let go of the two plates of omurice and would only watch them fall on the wooden floor. He put them on the table instead and looked at Hinata closely; his hands started getting cold with the unknown foreboding feeling.

"Shouyou, Ushijima-san is your senpai from Shiratorizawa Academy, your Middle School." Tsukishima said word per word slowly, as if saying an important rule to a child.

"What are you talking about, Kei? I am not from Shiratorizawa." Hinata leaned back to the backrest of the dining chair; he threw his head back when a wave of nausea hit him.

Tsukishima gaped slightly. All Hinata said mismatched with...everything. He didn't remember anything from yesterday's event. Heck, it seemed like he wasn't there with them yesterday. Like he was away in another world-

Tsukishima's eyes widened considerably. A realization washed him like a wave of Tsunami._ It can't be..._

"Shrimp?"

Hinata looked up again, eyes squinting as another series of thumping headache attack him. The supposedly grin on his face looked like a grimace of pain.

"Shrimp? I outgrew you in the middle of our second year in high school, remember?" Hinata finished it with a chuckle.

Tsukishima shook his head. "You outgrew me since the very beginning."

Hinata frowned, confused with the whole conversation. But, the moment his eyes became suddenly clear, Tsukishima knew he understood.

"Wait..." Hinata trailed as he was slowly standing up from his seat. "Your brother, what sport your brother plays?"

Tsukishima felt his entire body grew languish. "Basketball."

And Hinata slumped back in his chair. Looked completely lost.

"NO WAY!" He cried out.

* * *

"No, it can't be happening." Hinata cried with a mouthful of rice.

"Hinata, swallow first!" Tsukishima admonished.

"But, but, what should I do?" He asked. Completely clueless.

"Relax, remember I and _he_ switched places before?" Tsukishima reassured. "And we got back around six months later."

Hinata groaned as he massaged his forehead again.

"You should have drunk a lot of water first. I heard it helps with hangover." Tsukishima stated.

Hinata groaned again as he waved his hand. _No idea_.

"We'll talk after you get better." Tsukishima sighed, standing up from his chair before taking a glass full of water for the Taller Boy.

* * *

"Now, I think about it." Hinata suddenly appeared. Tsukishima was preparing his backpack. He looked up and Hinata seemed much better. "I think it's a better chance for them to, you know, say their farewell properly."

Tsukishima nodded. He watched as Hinata walked toward his bed and sat on it. "So, I reckon you and _he_ have the same relationship with us?" The Bespectacled Young Man smirked.

Hinata grinned. "Yeah. Funny how it works on both sides."

"And you really are taller than him?" Tsukishima leaned back to his bedding.

"Yes." Hinata's grin got wider. A proud light danced in his eyes.

"I bet he was pissed off."

"You bet." A cringe was prominent behind that grin. "How this Hinata treats you, by the way?"

Tsukishima shrugged, didn't really see that question come. "He is good."

"I see." Hinata said as he looked up towards the ceiling. "I hope they can say whatever they wanted to say right then. It sucks to let my boyfriend get close to someone else, but I think Kei will feel much better if they can talk and tighten all the loose knots from their separation before."

"Yeah." Tsukishima mumbled. He looked to his bag but his mind wandered. What if... What if after Shouyou meet the other Tsukishima and suddenly his feeling for the other guy resurfaced? What if Shouyou suddenly realized that he didn't want him and all this time he wanted the other Tsukishima instead? What if he started comparing him with his other self? What if he flawed so much from the other Tsukishima and the moment Shouyou came back he didn't want to continue their relationship?

"Tsukishima? Do you hear me?" Hinata was squatting down before him and waving his hand in front of him.

"Yes." Tsukishima replied with a clipped tone. "I was just thinking of when we are going to get our schedule."

Hinata didn't react to that. Tsukishima looked up and their eyes met. Hinata's eyes were observing him, watching each flicker in his eyes.

"You know, there is nothing to worry about." Hinata said firmly. "I am Hinata too. I know how he thinks." The taller boy made a move to touch his cheek. The gesture had been done unconsciously but, Hinata remembered himself just at the moment Tsukishima flinched away from the hand.

"So-Sorry! Oh my God! I am sorry! I didn't mean to touch you! I mean, I forgot it for a moment!" Hinata freaked out. His hands flailed around, trying desperately to explain himself.

Tsukishima watched with a kind of fascination as Hinata, tall and big as he was, flustered and made comical gesticulation. Tsukishima suddenly remembered how much jumpier Shrimp than his Shouyou. Tsukishima laughed lightly, which stopped Hinata's fluster.

"What are you laughing for?" Hinata asked.

"You." Tsukishima chuckled. He didn't notice the blush adorning Hinata's face. "You are, you know, Shrimp-ish."

"What does that mean?" Hinata pouted, feigned offended.

"I think, because Shouyou got his tall stature in a much earlier stage than you, he had this solid and macho air around him. You are way jumpier." Tsukishima explained, letting out chuckle mid sentences. "Don't take it wrong. You are interesting, Hinata." He added when Hinata's pout deepened.

Hinata blinked in astonishment. "Wow, you... you speak your mind in a much clearer way than Kei." Hinata frowned. "I didn't remember you were like this before."

"We were not close that time. I don't speak my mind to someone I am not really close to. We are related in this problem in more than one way." Tsukishima said. "Anyway, let's get ready to go to the campus. We need to take our schedule."

"Oh, now you mention it. What semester are we here?" Hinata asked as Tsukishima was getting up from the floor.

"It's our first semester."

Hinata whined as he put his head in his hands, wailing miserably. "He is going to fail my second semester over there, isn't he?"

"My condolences." Tsukishima casually said.

* * *

**The Universe with the Short Hinata**

A pillow flew over Hinata's head. It grazed his hair harshly.

"Give me my Shouyou back!" Tsukishima shouted. Never in Hinata's life seeing a Tsukishima this furious.

"Excuse me! But just so you know I would like to have my Kei back too!" He said, dodging another flying pillow.

"My Shouyou is much jumpier than you! You are less intimidated by me!" Tsukishima ranted.

"What the hell, Tsukishima?! Oh, and my Kei acts more adorable than you!"

"Like hell I care!"

* * *

"That's what I am worried about." Tsukishima said. The two young men were sitting side by side. Leaning heavily on the bed of Tsukishima's. "My other self acts cuter than me." He closed his eyes. Their breaths were still heavy after the pillow war they had.

"How about my other self here?" Hinata asked.

"He is jumpy, and easily gets scared." Tsukishima smiled.

"Oh well," Hinata released a sigh. "Kei would not mind having him around."

There was a long silence after that. Neither spoke anything and enjoying the silence that enveloped them. Their slightly ragged breaths were the only sound in the room. The previously war zone had became a still sanctuary.

"I am glad you are doing well." Hinata said after a long while. He gazed toward the windows.

"I am glad you are doing well too." Tsukishima replied.

"It took a long time, you know..."

"I know. It took me long time to completely accept the reality after that." Tsukishima elaborated for him. He then turned toward the Taller Boy, meeting his eyes dead on. "But, finally I see how it should have been. He is my Hinata Shouyou."

Hinata regarded him with a sense of swelling pride. "And he is my Tsukishima Kei." Hinata smiled. "But, I treasure the time we had together nonetheless." He admitted.

"Of course and likewise." Tsukishima smiled thinly. He looked away, afraid to show how it affected him.

But Hinata heeded nothing when he took his arm and hugged him. Tsukishima didn't need a second longer to circled his arms around the bigger man shoulders, squeezing him as all the longing and desperation that had been buried deep resurfaced again. He felt how Hinata squeezed him by his waist.

"I am really glad that you are okay." Hinata mumbled on his shoulder. "I was afraid that you couldn't move on."

Tsukishima sniffed. And no, he wasn't going to cry! He was getting flu!

"I am glad that you also moved on. I was thinking you would be too stubborn to see the reality and refused to have your own happiness."

They stayed in each other arms for ten minutes longer before awkwardly released their holds. The two stared at each other, eyes clear as the entire burden they unconsciously carried had been lifted off of their hearts.

"So, this time I am the one getting switched." Hinata said as he observed the room. "Hey, it's the exact same room with what I have there."

"I know. It happened to me that time too." Tsukishima explained. "You will be back, maybe around six months. But we can never be sure about that."

"Do you know what I think about it?" Hinata suddenly asked. But he answered it without waiting for Tsukishima's response. "That time, we had the time to be together. But now, I think it's their time to enjoy being with each other." Hinata smirked. "Because honestly, I don't see you the way I did before. I have Kei."

Tsukishima punched Hinata's upper arm. "Me too. And stop saying it, it sounds embarrassing. I don't see you as a boyfriend material now. You are not my Shouyou."

"Right. That's why I think it's actually their time to enjoy each other. We had our time so it would be unfair if they don't."

"At least they know what will happen and won't be too emotionally invested in each other." Tsukishima muttered.

...

"But I don't want him to touch my Kei!" Hinata wailed desperately. He put his head in his hands. Shoulders trembled as if crying.

"I don't want my other self to tease Shouyou too much." Tsukishima said. He glared at a black dot on the wooden floor of their bedroom.

And another round of argument, of what bad things their other self might do to their boyfriend, began.

**END**


End file.
